Fate Zero: Cloud Covered Skies
by ariados26
Summary: "The world is my garden." So said the proud King of Heroes, who believed that everything in the world belonged to him. At least that was what he thought. A priest however, knew the truth, knew just how wrong he was. "You are a fool to think that King of Heroes. The world may be your garden, but the sky is not yours. The sky belongs to the clouds... The sky... it belongs to her."
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, as well as the ideas I borrowed from other manga/stories/anime/etc, and I am borrowing them purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

**Prologue**

Hibari Kyoya, the Cloud Guardian of Famiglia Vongola, was losing, and his defeat was just about assured, there was no doubt it. He was out of weapons, he was out of tricks. At the start of their fight, the two of them had been evenly matched. Using everything he had, the Cloud Guardian did everything in his power to eliminate his foe, the Second Sword Emperor, Genkishi.

Unfortunately, it was not enough. He and his opponent, when it comes to fighting abilities, were on even footing. However, his opponent had more weapons in his arsenal than him.

All of his rings had been destroyed, the strength of his flames so powerful that they would break every single time he used one. His tonfas, his weapon of choice, had been sliced to bits. By using his remaining rings, Hibari Kyoya created an arena, Needle Sphere Form Reversed, in which he and the Mist Guardian could fight where Dying Will Flames would not work... or so he thought. For sadly, he was mistaken. The Dome did prevent the useage of Flames, but only mostly, as it did not prevent the activation of items from the Trinesette, which include the Mare Rings. And since the skylark did not have his Vongola Ring, it was a fatal disadvantage.

And now he was at the mercy of his opponent, defenceless, against the Phantom Knight, who was also the Mist Funeral Wreath of the Millefiore Famiglia. He was about to die...

Or not...

Unknown to his opponent, being defeated there was actually part of a much grander scheme, a plan that had been set between himself, his boss, the Vongola Decimo, Tsunayoshi Sawada, and the enemy's second-in-command, the Sun Funeral Wreath of Millefiore, Souichi Irie, who, in reality, is actually a spy working for Famiglia Vongola.

Just as Genkishi was about to strike the finishing blow, Hibari Kyoya was replaced by his younger self from ten years in the past, as was part of the plan. He, the future self, by an ingenius glitch that was placed on the system of the ten-year bazooka, would in turn be transported into a machine that was created by Irie instead of getting sent to the past, where he would be in suspended animation, just like the rest of Guardians, until their past selves, on whom they pinned their hopes on, were able defeat Byakuran and fix everything.

Yes, that was their plan, their plan to finally put an end to the Milleflore's reign of terror. Unfortunately, as what usually happens, not everything goes according to plan.

In the end, their ten year younger selves did succeed, and managed to become even stronger than their future selves. They managed to defeat Byakuran and the Six Real Funeral Wreaths. They succeeded in fixing everything, in restoring the equilibrium.

However, when their past selves finally returned to their own time after the battle was over, there was one guardian, in that future, who was missing.

The Storm Guardian, Gokudera Hayato, the Rain Guardian, Yamamoto Takeshi, the Sun Guardian, Sasagawa Ryohei, the Lightning Guardian, Lambo, the Mist Guardian, Chrome Dokuro and also their Boss, the Sky, Sawada Tsunayoshi, were returned to their physical states after being cooped up in the circular machine all that time, had all awakened from their slumber.

Everything was fine. The equilibrium and balance of the universe has been restored. Except for one.

The Cloud Guardian of ten years later, Hibari Kyoya, was nowhere to be seen.

Something must have gone wrong with the machine.

And no one had ever seen him again, no matter how hard they tried to find him. No one knew, where the elusive cloud ended up drifting off to.

Thus, unable to do anything, the entire Vongola Famiglia were saddened at the loss of the skylark, and the position of Cloud Guardian had remained vacant, for they still believed, despite not being able to find him, that he was still alive out there somewhere.. Hibari may have been a loner, an anti-social and violent person, but despite this fact, he had been steadfast, and while he denied that he was helping them and was only doing it on a personal whim, his actions proved exactly the opposite of what he said, and he had always been there when they needed him most.

And indeed, they were correct. For in a way, Hibari Kyoya, was dead, gone from the world forever more.

And yet, at the same time, even though he was dead, in another way, he was in fact, actually still alive, yet was now drifting somewhere, like the cloud that he... that _she_, happened to be, that was beyond their reach.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"No, you won't die, Shirou. Because I'm the one that's going to shut the gate," A female voice declared calmly, yet determinedly.

She knew that what she was about to do would mean her end, yet in truth, it did not really bother her that much. After all, controlling and manipulating the Holy Grail had been the centuries-old wish of the Einzbern family, and she was one of the homunculi specifically created, and modified, to serve as its vessel. Well, at least the last two parts were true.

Since unlike her 'sisters,' she was special, for even though it was true that her body had undergone cruel experimentation, she came into the world, unlike any others of her kind, born from the love between her , who abandoned her to her fate. Parents, who chose the greater good over the well-being of their daughter.

"Hey. Do you want to live Shirou? Do you want to live on, no matter what kind of life you become?"

The boy, however, who obviously no longer had the power of speech due to the damage he received from using the Heroic Spirit's left arm, could only nod in response, driven by his instinct.

Yet it only lasted a second. For in the next moment.

"Il..."

His face contorted in worry, retracting, denying, his own wish to survive, unwillingly, knowing, the price to be paid for him to able to continue on living.

"Yeah, I'm glad to hear that. I wanted you to live instead of me."

The girl, however ignored it, whatever refusal he tried to voice out, for his protests actually served only to strengthen her resolve.

Yes, the girl had suffered, and led a sad life, a miserable existence.

She hated her father for choosing his ideals over his family.

She loathed her mother for going along with Kiritsugu's wishes.

She detested Shirou because her father chose him over her.

Yes, she loved them, yet at the same time, she hated her parents, and at the beginning, she also hated the boy, who was now a young man. Still, it had nothing to do with her grandfather's conditioning, for just like her father, she was strong-willed. No, she hated them out of her own free will and judgement.

And right now, she still hated them, that fact did not change. She still despised them, and she believed that while her mother deserved fate, despite the pain he must have gone through because of the slow and painful death the dark mud from the Grail gave him, he did not deserve the peaceful end he met, and should have received much worse.

And yet, here she was, the daughter of the ones who left to suffer, willingly walking to her own death, not to save the world from evil, not to fulfil the long time wish of the Einzberns, but instead, she was here, prepared to sacrifice her life, to save her younger brother. The boy, who her father had raised, the boy who he had loved and cared for, instead of her own flesh and blood, the boy, who had stolen her father away from her.

For the boy, the boy was different from them. The boy had been hell-bent on following the same path as his father, the path towards becoming a hero, the path that led towards his ideals.

Yet he did not continue to pursue it. He had stopped going for the impossible dream. Instead of choosing to save the many by sacrificing the few, he decided to throw it all away, and followed his heart instead. She may not fully approve of the woman he chose, believing that her brother in all but blood deserved someone better but the fact remained, he was different from her... from _their_... father.

"Then I'll show you a miracle. It's an application of the magic I showed you earlier, but this one's amazing. This is the sorcery everyone wanted to see after all."

"Il...ya..."

"But the container's a bit cheap. I can't reproduce it using only my own body, but it's alright. You'll be back in no time if you and Rin keep trying."

"Don't... y... die... Il... ya... Ilya..."

"Goodbye. We aren't related by blood. But I'm glad were siblings."

"Pl... come... ba... I... ya... ILYA!"

"No. You said an older brother protects his younger sister, right?Yeah, I'm the older sister. So I have to protect my younger brother."

She smiles as she walked toward the center of the circle, facing the corrupted Grail, prepared to sacrifice herself.

Yes, there was no stopping her, for the love which she felt for her brother had won over her hate, and nothing anyone did or say will ever be able to stop her.

"It's time," the girl whispered to herself, as she started to close the Gate.

Yes, she knew the price she had to pay for the ritual, which was nothing other than her entire existence, body, mind and soul, yet it did not really bother her that much.

And as she was engulfed in a bright white light, which shone brightly, pushing back the darkness that came from Angra Mainyu, the girl closed her eyes, and allowed the Grail to take her, without a tinge of regret. For all that mattered, was that with her sacrifice, she was able to save Shirou. She was able to save her brother, the person she cared for the most in the world.

It was the end for her, and indeed, in a sense, it was the end. Unknown to her, however, for her, it was only the beginning. For just as her soul was about to be taken to the Grail, an unknown outside force and influence, caused a glitch in the Grail's system, and instead of dying and losing her soul, something else happened to the girl who went by name Ilyasviel von Einzbern.

For better or for worse, only time would tell...

**xxxXXXxxx**

The Heaven's Feel Holy Grail War, a war which is fought between seven magi who are chosen by the Grail, each of whom are deemed worthy of obtaining the ultimate prize: the Holy Grail. Each of the seven mages are competent, and receive sigils, Command Seals, which signify their participation. Using these Command Seals to bind the contract, the seven participants, Masters, would each summon a Servant, to aid them in their quest. These Servants, however, are no ordinary familiars, and are actually heroes, figures of legend who had been known throughout for their greatness and prowess. Each one of these Servants are basically far more powerful than their Master, yet they need their Master's prana in order for them to be able to remain in the world. The contract is established, and the seven sides go to war against each other. The main objective of each Master is to eliminate, by any means, all other six Servants, aside from their own, after which the Holy Grail would appear, and both Servant and Master would be able to have their wish granted.

The air was heavy with pressure. Every single individual at the harbour could feel it, as well as the individuals who were watching from afar.

Five Servants. Five out of the Seven Servants have gathered in one location, each one of them a being of great power, and had accomplished great deeds during their lifetime.

The gathering started fairly simply. Lancer, who had been looking for a fight upon his Master's, purposely refrained from hiding his presence as a form of challenge. Eventually, someone accepted the challenge: the Servant of the Sword, Saber.

The two clashed, both of whom showed skills and abilities that were excellent and commendable. Both warriors duelled, trying to kill the enemy before them, yet at the same time, admiring said enemy, at the display of strength that was only befitting of legends like themselves.

After a while, however, Lancer managed to get the upper hand, when he revealed his Noble Phantasm, or Noble Phantasms. Capitalizing on Saber's error in judgement, Lancer was able to wound the Servant of the Sword with Gae Buidhe, the Yellow Rose of Mortality, a spear which carries a curse. Any wound it inflicts cannot be healed by any means, and the only way to cure it would be if Lancer decides to lift the curse, which is equivalent to breaking his own spear.

Saber's hand was injured, and she was at a disadvantage. However, despite this fact, she still believed... no she knew, that she would win.

Just as they were about to continue their battle, they found themselves interrupted, as the mounted Servant, Rider, appeared, a jolly idiot who not only revealed his true name, but actually had the nerve to ask them to be his subordinates.

He was the third Servant to appear, yet in truth, there was fourth Servant in the area. Assassin, the Servant of Stealth, was actually there, but hiding his presence, his task merely to observe, the eyes and ears of his Master, or his Master's Master, for in fact, his Master, while technically human, was actually the subordinate of another Master, the Master of the Servant who killed one of the one hundred Assassins, to put up a show and a facade, to make their enemies think that Assassin was dead, when in fact, he... they... were still very much alive.

And now that Servant had also appeared.

"If you want to say that much, could you first announce yourself? If you are such a King, you couldn't be ashamed of your fame." Servant Rider, whose true identity which he just revealed is Iskander, Alexander the Great, the King of Conquerors, asked the new arrival calmly. After all, said Heroic Spirit had just declared himself as the true King, while calling the rest 'a collection of mongrels.'

"Are you questioning me? A lowly mongrel questioning a King like me?"

The Golden Servant, however, instead of giving out his name, appeared to be insulted by that statement.

"I grant you the honor of my presence yet you can't recognize me? Such Ignorance isn't even worth living."

The space behind the Golden Servant distorted, and through the ripples which appeared behind him, spears, blades, swords, of all kinds, appeared.

That in itself made it difficult to guess his identity. It is a general known fact for the weapons, Noble Phantasms, of a Heroic Spirit to be connected to his Legend. However, no one has ever heard of a Hero who owned a large number of them. One or two, or even five perhaps is understandable, but owning at least a dozen legendary weapons of great power, that was just about insane.

The weapons were prepared, readied to be fired with contempt at the Mounted Soldier, who had insulted the Knight of the Bow. He did not have a bow, but his way utilizing his swords did indeed make him qualified as an Archer.

"Prepare yourselves, mongrels, for you are about to witness the power of a True King." Archer declared, his rage-filled eyes focused on Rider. The King of Conquerors, however, did not even flinch at his gaze, and instead, smiled at the Golden Servant.

"Hahaha! Bring it on then." He laughed, his face radiating his excitement and anticipation, although the same could not be said for his Master, Waver Velvet, who was on the chariot beside him: his face was one of fear and worry.

"So you really do have a death wish, mongrel. Very well then, I shall indulge you."

The air had become thicker and tenser than ever before, as the number of weapons floating behind Archer which was around sixteen, increased to thirty-two, and not a single one of those additional weapons could be considered as something that was not a Noble Phantasm, each one of the swords and spears having a legendary aura about them.

It was apparent now what was going to happen. With four Servants present (only Kiritsugu and Maiya, who had seen Assassin's location knew there were actually five), it was unwise to make any move without thinking.

At the sight of the numerous weapons, even Rider was slightly worried. A barrage of arrows he knew he could easily evade with his flying chariot, yet the arrows he was facing were no ordinary Projectiles, as each one was a Noble Phantasm, each one with their own unique effects. To make matters worse, his Master was riding with him, and the King of Conquerors was unsure if he could hold out. Not that he was angry at his Master of course, and in fact, he was proud of the kid for having the balls to join him in his chariot, but still, he was just being factual.

Of course, he still had trump cards of his own that could surpass even that, but in the presence of other Servants... Rider may be a jolly fellow who so easily revealed his identity but he was no complete fool. Once revealed his ace, he would have to eliminate every single one of the enemies in the vicinity, something which his nature would not permit.

"Begone, fool."

Archer raised his right hand, the same pose he took before he rained down his weapons on the Servant of Stealth. Just as he was about to flick his finger, the signal for releasing the projectiles as he had done when he 'killed' Assassin, instead of flicking his finger, he slowly lowered them, while he turned his head southwards.

"Do you think a sermon from someone like you could appease a king's anger? You're quite presumptuous, Tokiomi..."

With a tone of abject annoyance, Archer spat in a suppressed voice. The glow of the countless Noble Phantasms around him disappeared at once, off to somewhere else.

"... You dodged death by a hair, mongrel."

He was containing his resentment, but his crimson eyes had already lost the flame of the killing intent. With his firm haughtiness, the golden Archer glared at the row of Servants.

"You mongrels. Cut down the mob next time. I will tolerate no less than a real hero."

With one final statement, the Golden Servant , still standing on the pole, turned his back on the other Heroic Spirits, about to dematerialize himself when...

?!

Without warning, there was a sudden spike of energy in the area, and in the next moment, the pole which Archer was standing on suddenly bent downward, as if hit by a large speeding truck.

"Who dares?" The Golden Servant snarled. He may have been taken by surprise, but even then, he managed to jump off in time unscathed.

?!

Only for the Servant of the Bow to be met by something heading for his face... the very pole that he was standing on just a mere second before. With his quick instinct and reflexes that was far beyond a normal human's, Archer immediately raised his hands to block it, yet to his surprise, his golden armor, which in itself was a high end Noble Phantasm that could block even A rank spells and take punishment from high class swords and spears, was easily dented in the spot where it made impact, while the one who wore it was knocked backwards a few meters by the force of the collision.

Normally it would have been easy for Archer to counter in such a situation. Unfortunately, the order issued by his pathetic excuse for a Master was one which used a Command Seal, and therefore he could not retaliate, not until he returned to the Tohsaka Mansion which would hereby recognize the order as fulfilled and would therefore render the Command useless, leaving the Golden Servant free to do as he wished once again. He was strong, and he could go against even that, but even someone with a pride like Archer's knew that in his current state, he had no chance of winning whatsoever, and he was greatly reminded of the one and only person he considered as a friend in the past, who died because of similar manipulations.

"You dog!"

Gritting his teeth in irritation at the fact that he, the mightiest of heroes, was being overcome by the Command Seal, he, against his will, turned back into spirit form and left, grudgingly allowing himself to be guided by the order back to his _Master's _base, but not without first getting a glimpse of what it was that assaulted him...

**xxxXXXxxx**

Almost as if from nowhere, a sudden spike of energy was felt, and Lancer had barely enough time to dodge the pole that was thrown at him, before he was forced parry the sword that was aimed at his neck. The figure which attacked the Golden Servant was now going after him, having closed the distance between them in a mere second. None of them had forgotten the numerous Noble Phantasms which the Golden Servant brought out, but the appearance of the newcomer, as of present, was a higher... a much higher priority.

It was Berserker, the Servant of Madness, a warrior whose body and armour was covered with a black mist, thus concealing his identity. At least, that was what the Masters, who have the ability to read the stats of enemy Servants, could see. However...

"That bastard... is he really a Berserker?"

"For someone who has forsaken his reason for madness, he's a remarkably skilled chap," Rider replied to the question of his Master, Waver.

Yes, Berserker was supposed to be a Servant who gains additional boosts in exchange for its sanity. Such a Servant was difficult to control, and the constant activation of Mad Enhancement puts a lot of strain on the Master.

Overall, the black knight does fit the bill of Mad Warrior in most aspects. The man's armor was black. Without any delicate ornament, with no polished luster. Like darkness, like Hell, it was just a bottomless black. The face was also invisible, covered with a rustic helmet. In the depth of a thinly carved slit, there was the ghastly glow of a pair of eyes with a glare burning like a flame.

Due to the clairvoyance which the Masters have, an ability that was granted by the Grail, even though Berserker's ability somehow prevented them from seeing any of his stats, the word Berserker was still clear for all of them to read.

And yet, he did not fight like a Berserker at all. A Berserker was supposed to be insane, filled with Madness, and was bound to charge head-on without thinking. Yet this one... contrary to his appearance, this one, fought with great skill and swordsmanship as if he had not lost his sanity.

Lancer knew that he was in trouble. A keen and observant warrior, the Servant of the Spear noticed, that every time his red spear, Gae Dearg, the Crimson Rose of Exorcism, made contact with his enemy's sword, the black aura and reddish lines covering his enemy's weapon would disappear... the same aura which covered the pole when the Mad Servant was holding it. It was only for a moment, but when the sword was revealed, he noticed there did not seem to be anything extraordinary about them, which could only mean one thing: the sword was not Berserker's Noble Phantasm.

It did not take long for Lancer to figure out the nature of the Mad Warrior's ability. For as he noticed, the weapon, once it was not covered by the black mist, were slowly being chipped off by his Gae Dearg, something which his shorter lance could not, even though that particular shorter spear, Gae Buidhe, was harder and tougher, if only slightly, than the red one, having been more specifically built to pierce through armor than through magic. There was no doubt about it, the black mist was either part, or was in itself, Berserker's Noble Phantasm.

Unfortunately, even this knowledge wasn't that helpful. Unlike how a Berserker should act, Lancer noticed that the man was actually acting more like a sane individual than an insane one. It was of course possible for a Berserker to retain his skills even in his maddened state, but with the way he was fighting, it was hard to believe that he did not have his sanity. He seemed focused on avoiding getting hit by Lancer's Yellow Spear of Mortality at all cost, almost as if he understood the curse.

But most of all, what made Lancer half certain that Berserker was feigning madness... was the look in his eyes, which held intelligence. The Mad Servant's eyes may seem to glow with fury and insanity, but the Knight of Fiana was not fooled, and when he stared right at them, he saw the eyes of a sane warrior, not an insane one.

So far, their battle was seemingly a stalemate, yet in truth Lancer was losing. Being a Heroic Spirit, Diarmuid does indeed have a considerable amount of Endurance by human standards. However, even then, after his fight with Saber, even though Rider's and Archer's interruption gave him a few minutes to rest, he was still a little exhausted... and that slight exhaustion, against his present opponent, was a considerable disadvantage. Slowly, ever so slowly, he was being pushed back.

?!

Then, without warning, the Mad Servant, taking advantage of a slight opening the Servant of the Spear overlooked, with surprising flexibility for a man wearing armor, kicked Lancer in the gut and sent him flying backward a few meters.

_Crap,_ the spearman cursed inwardly. With his immense flexibility, he managed to jump backwards just in time to avoid most of the force of the kick, but as a price, he landed slightly off balance, and he looked up just in time to see Berserker upon him, his sword raised high, almost as if it was part of the Mad Warrior's plan all along. It was only a slight opening, but still, a fatal opening nonetheless, one which Lancer knew, despite his incredible speed, he would not be able to escape.

Berserker's sword however, contrary to what the Servant of the Spear expected, did not strike him down.

"Please stop this now, Berserker."

Saber appeared in front of Lancer, and despite her hand injury, with surprising strength from someone of her small stature, she managed to push Berserker back a few meters as she parried his blow.

"Lancer has a previous engagement with me. I would appreciate it if you did not interfere."

"Saber."

Even though the two of them were enemies, even though they were inevitably going to kill each other in the end, Lancer was touched by Saber's words. Mortal enemies though the two of them were by circumstances, he could not help but be grateful to the Servant of the Sword.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Kayneth Archibald, a member of the Mage Association, who is more commonly known by his title Lord El-Melloi, a proud magus recognized for his research and exploits of thaumaturgy. Due to certain circumstances, as well as carelessness on his part, he ended up losing the precious artefact which he intended to use to summon his Servant for the Heaven's Feel, and to make matters worse, it was his hated student of all people who did it.

Still, it was not like he did not have a backup plan, and thus, even with the main catalyst gone, he had another one, one which was meant to summon Diarmuid, another hero of considerable prowess. Unfortunately, instead of summoning him as a Saber, he ended up appearing as Lancer, probably due to the fact that the particular Servant Class had already been taken.

Knowing the particular Servant Class' reputation, Kayneth originally wanted to prioritize eliminating the Servant of the Sword, believing it to be the greatest threat. However, after seeing the events which unfolded, he took a moment to analyze things.

Archer and Rider were without a doubt the huge threats in the war. Weak and pathetic though the Master of Rider, Waver Velvet was, Kayneth had to admit that Iskander was a considerable threat. He did not yet know of the Servant's full capabilities, but his flying chariot alone that would already make it difficult even for someone like Lancer to defeat him in a battle.

As for Archer, even though Lancer's skills should make him very versatile against projectiles, the fact that the Golden Servant's arrows were all Noble Phantasms would render it useless. To make matters worse, his Master was Tokiomi Tohsaka, who had a home field advantage, seeing as he was the owner of the land in which the War was taking place.

But the worst part, however, as far as Kayneth was concerned, was there was already an alliance between two Masters. He was Lord El-Melloi, after all, and he was not that naive. He knew that Assassin was still alive, as well as the master-apprentice relationship between the Masters of Archer and Assassin. Not once did he believe their little 'falling out.'

Bearing the pride of a magus, Kayneth Archibald was not one who would easily consider an alliance, but given the circumstances, it might be necessary.

Then, there was Berserker, the Mad Servant, who launched a surprise attack on Archer. Even though he failed, he still made quite an impression.

Berserker had suddenly appeared on the battlefield, and after Archer left, he immediately targeted Lancer, who was proving to be weaker than said Servant of Madness. Due to the situation, Lord El-Melloi prepared a Command Spell to make him retreat, but it was too late then.

To his relief, however, the Servant of the Sword stepped in to assist Lancer.

And that was when he decided that it would be a good idea to have an alliance with Saber. It did not matter what their reasons were, whether it was pride or foolishness. All he knew was that if Saber and Lancer were the last Servants standing, due to the injury which Saber has received, when it comes to a one on one, Kayneth was confident that his Lancer would win. Berserker had proven itself to be the bigger threat, and thus, it would for the best if said Servant was eliminated first.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Lancer," the Servant of the Spear heard his Master's voice echo in the harbor, "Assist Saber in killing Berserker."

Normally, Lancer would have tried to refuse such an order, as fighting two against one was not exactly chivalrous. Given their current situation, however, it would be much less chivalrous if he did not assist the one who just saved his life, one who is injured and whose abilities have been lowered due to the injury which his spear had caused.

"As you wish, my Lord," the Servant of the Spear replied to his Master, before he called out to the silver-clad female knight. "Saber..."

The King of Knights too, would normally be against fighting under such conditions, favourable though they were. However, as she weighed the pros and cons as well as her code of honor, she decided that it would be for the best. It was dishonourable in a sense, but in a way, it was also not. Deciding it was more honourable for them to be able to finish their duel, the Servant of the Sword decided to take the man's offer, and gave him a nod in response as a sign of acceptance.

As if realizing that he was in a fix, the Mad Servant, uncharacteristic of one who had lost his sanity, was slowly backing away, as if to retreat.

The two Heroic Spirits he was facing, however, had no intention of letting the Mad Warrior escape. Almost as if it had been part of their plan, despite not communicating, neither by word nor by signal, the two Servants charged forward in tandem, Saber moved in from the Berserker's left, while Lancer moved in from the Mad Servant's right, each one advancing in such a way that they would not get in the way of the other.

Even if Berserker was at such a high level of skill, not even he would be able to survive an attack from two beings who are on the same footing as him at close combat. Even if he turned out to be slightly better than them, it was two against one. Even someone like him would not stand a chance.

Heroes who are summoned as Lancer are usually known for their speed and agility, and Diarmuid of the Love Spot did not disappoint. Summoned by a competent magus, his agility was ranked A+.

However, with the proper skills, even someone like him could be beaten in a race, and Saber's skill, did just that. Using her magical energy, the King of Knights, in a surge of Prana, charged forward, at a speed that was more than twice even that of Lancer's.

The resounding clang of metal was heard as sparks flew in the air. As expected, Berserker was indeed powerful and had quick reflexes. Despite the Servant of the Sword's surge of speed, he easily deflected the blade that had been aimed at his neck.

But that was only a distraction, as its true purpose was not to kill him, but rather, to force him to lower his guard, and it worked.

Now, the Mad Servant was completely open, and even with his incredible skills, he would not be able to stop the spear that was thrust at his heart, as his hands were full.

If he did not do anything, his heart was going to be skewered. If he blocked the spear with his sword, then Saber would take advantage of the opening and decapitate him. If he jumped backward, it would still be useless, since both his enemies were slightly faster than him on their feet.

The Heroic Spirit of the Spear thrust his red spear forward, but the Mad Servant stopped it, by grabbing onto the spear with one of his hands. Unfortunately, with both his hands occupied, one with a sword that was blocking Saber's invisible blade, while the other was stopping one of the spears, that left him completely open.

"This is the end," Lancer stated, as he thrust the Gae Buidhe, the Yellow Rose of Mortality, straight at the Mad Servant's chest.

It was only the first night, yet one of the Seven Servants was already going to be eliminated.

"Two on one isn't exactly fair, is it?"

?!

Or not...

"Kuh?!"

The instant Lancer made his declaration, everyone who was present believed that it was indeed over for the Servant of Madness.

Instead, the Servant of the Spear jumped backwards, barely avoiding something hard and metal that almost hit him in the temple. Had Lancer not possessed incredible speed and quick reflexes, he would have really taken some damage.

"Master..."

Everyone who was witnessing the battle were naturally surprised. Berserker... a Servant who was supposed to have exchanged his sanity for strength, and should thus be unable to speak, just spoke.

"It seems like you are having some trouble handling them on your own."

However, their surprise to this bit of information, was nothing compared to the shock they felt when they saw the one who the Mad Servant was addressing.

The person was wearing a black suit, similar to those used for formal gatherings, with a purple shirt and black necktie, and was wielding a pair of silver-colored tonfas.

Yes, everyone in the harbour as well those who were watching was surprised by her sudden appearance. However, there were three people in particular who were more surprised than any of the others.

_What in the world?_ Emiya Kiritsugu thought in shock, barely able to keep his expression stoic and neutral, as he saw the new arrival, unaware that his wife and Servant were having the same lines of thoughts.

For the person's most distinguishing figure, was the fact that the person was a girl, who, based from her appearance, seemed to be around fifteen or sixteen years of age.

... with crimson eyes and silver hair.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright This is the first chapter for my new fic, Fate Zero: Il Cielo Nuvoloso (title was changed from Fate Zero: Wandering Cloud), which I decided to write upon the request of a certain someone who I cannot refuse. As to who she is, I will not mention. But since I am a he, and since I don't want to upset her, I'm sure you'll be able to guess who she is. Basically, this story is a crossover fic between the Fate Universe and Katekyo Hitman Reborn, although it is only a slight crossover. I'm not sure if there are others but I think mine is the first one.

Naturally, due to the disappointing ending of the manga, even though I am still a fan of Hitman Reborn, I kind of lost interest in continuing any of the fanfic notes I wrote about it, but since someone insisted, I decided to comply.

Of course, since someone specifically requested me to write this, I will probably be focusing my attention on this one. My other projects are not dropped of course (although A New Fate, my Harry Potter and Fate Stay Night Crossover and Fate Zero: Blade Sanctuary, my Anime-xovers and Fate Stay Night Crossover, might undergo a major rewrite.).

I suppose I'll stop here for now though. More details will be explained in the next chapter, although I think some of you can guess what happened.

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	2. The Skylark of Winter

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, as well as the ideas I borrowed from other manga/stories/anime/etc, and I am borrowing them purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

**The Skylark of Winter  
**

**Two Years Ago...**

Being alone, that was something which she has always enjoyed. That had always been how she was. She wanted peace, she wanted quiet, she wanted things in order. Of course, any sound, any mess, no matter how annoying it is, she would tolerate and disregard, so long as the source was either friends of hers, or something small and cute, birds and hedgehogs being her favourites, with the exception of cats. For some reason she could not understand, despite her love for cute animals, she really disliked the fluffy furballs (although her dislike did not extend to bigger cats, like leopards and tigers).

Perhaps it was because of her name which might be related to her true nature, the name that her adoptive parents had given her, due to the fact that it was, according to them, the first word that she managed to speak, one which she spoke unconsciously even when she had not yet started learning how to read, write and speak, a word which could either mean cloud, and also skylark... which would explain just why she disliked cats so much. Maybe she was a bird in her previous life?

She is Hibari Fuyu, the adopted daughter and only child of Yuki Fuyu and Takami Fuyu, a kind old couple who run a small bakery that is located on Mount Miyama, the shopping district of Fuyuki City.

Ten years. That was the amount of time, according to the doctors' diagnosis, that had been taken from her. Due to whatever traumatic incident it was, she had amnesia, and she remembered nothing, having lost all of her memories. According to her parents, they found her unconscious on the stairs of the Ryuudou Temple, yet she does not remember it. Her first memory was gaining awareness, in a place which she later learned was called a hospital.

She had nothing. She was nothing. No memories, no knowledge, and despite her apparent age, she was unable to speak, unable to walk, just like a newborn infant.

But then, she was also smart and highly intelligent despite this fact. And in a short amount of time, partly due to her loving parents who gave all their time for her, she managed to learn all that she needed to learn, her empty mind once again filled. In just a few months, she was ready to go to middle school.

Hibari was someone who disliked crowds and the company of other people, and it had always been her impulse to get away whenever one was forming. She never showed it, and she always kept a mask of indifference to hide her irritation, yet in truth, this was partly how she felt every time she entered the classroom.

She was kind and friendly, and she was always helpful to everybody. However, she had always kept her distance as much as possible. She had friends, she had attachments, yet she did not want to stay too close, and she preferred to watch them silently from afar, although she did not mind to be close as well, and was able to tolerate it so long as they did not bother her too much.

Overall, she was just a typical studious school girl with a loner complex. She was at the top of her year. She has good test scores and good grades. She was a model student, a shy and quiet school girl who would never harm anyone.

"Vandalism is a violation of the policies of Homurahara Academy. I'm going to bite you to death, all of you."

Except people who were stupid enough to break certain taboos. One of which was breaking the school rules.

"Wait..."

"This isn't what it looks like.."

The silver-haired female, however, did not even bother to listen to the pleas, and instead cracked her knuckles, before proceeding to beat up the offending students. She always carried tonfas with her as her primary weapon, but she only had them in case there was a true threat... or rather, challenge, to her. She practices everyday, but so far, only one person has ever been able to make Hibari draw out her tonfas and force her to fight seriously.

"We didn't mean to- AAARGH!"

"Stupid herbivores," the silver-haired female stated, as she pointed at the writing on the walls, insults and foul language, which include the names 'Pyscho Bitch,' 'Demon President,' etc, most of which were aimed at her. "You better make sure that those graffiti are gone by tomorrow. If you don't, I'm going to give an even harsher punishment."

Of course, the skylark knew that they were already unconscious, and could no longer hear her words, but that suited her just fine. At least she would have a good excuse to beat them up again.

Homurahara Academy. Originally, the school was an all boy's school, but going with the changing times, the school had become co-ed. Still, due to the fact that the school had become one only five years before, the female student population was still low, and the current ratio was one girl for every eight boys.

Presently, Hibari was a second year student at said school, the top performing student in terms of academics... and also the president of the Student Council, and thus it was part of her duty, as well as that of her subordinates, to patrol the school on a daily basis to make sure that the rules and regulations are followed, and she had the authority to punish anyone who broke them.

Males, in general, have been proven to be quite irresponsible, as well as... naughty. Due to the small population of girls, it was only natural for the boys to dote and _crowd_ on the females...

Unfortunately for them, they had not been able to do such a thing, ever since Hibari entered the school.

At first, they had thought that she was a shy and harmless, although distant, school girl, which in fact she actually is... to people who did not bother her at least. For some reason, the male population saw her as one of the most beautiful females around, with her pale white skin, silver hair and alluring ruby red eyes... a fatal miscalculation on their part.

Yes, it was true that Hibari was shy and quiet, and she had never raised a voice on anyone as far as anyone can remember. However, that is because one of the philosophies she followed is that 'action speaks louder than words.'

As of the moment, there was no one in the school, save perhaps for one person, who can match the skylark in physical combat, and not even the captain of the kendo club or the karate club can beat her. She never joined any of these clubs, but when it comes to fighting, she was certainly among the top.

Yes, she was a good fighter, there was no doubt about it. However, that was not the main reason why the students, particularly the male population, fear her. In fact, those who she had 'bitten to death,' in reality, even those who suffered broken ribs and got sent to the hospital, actually consider themselves lucky.

For the real reason why Hibari Fuyu, the President of the Student Council of Homurahara Academy was feared immensely, was not because of her fighting abilities, but because of...

Her skills in cosmetics and patchwork.

"KYAAAAA! SO CUTE!"

"To think you were able to make those thuggish brutes look like cute little angels. Darn it, Prez, you really are one hell of a miracle worker."

"I'm glad you like it," the Student Council President replied to her female subordinates, all of whom had helped her carry the three unconscious males to the 'powder room,' as well as in dressing them up in frilly dresses. "Taiga, I still have a lot things to do so I'm leaving you in charge."

"Aye," the brown-haired Fujimura, and also Hibari's Vice President, replied enthusiastically.

"And girls... don't forget to take pictures, okay? If they are not on my desk by tomorrow morning, I'm going to bite all of you to death."

"Yes, Ma'm," the group replied automatically.

The silver-haired skylark allowed herself a small smile to appear on her lips, before she resumed her stoic expression, and walked out of the door.

Even though their President sounded intimidating, they knew her well enough, and could tell she was only kidding. After all, the Student Council was an all-female group, and all of them were close friends of the skylark. They could never get an over eccentric or exaggerated reaction from the albino, but even then, each one of them could easily tell what kind of emotion their leader was feeling, and each one of them knew that their leader, while denying it, genuinely cared for each of them.

When it comes to dressing people up or putting make up on them, their President was without a doubt the best at the task. There was no one in the school who could match her, and in fact, even though the males were intimidated by it, the females, on the contrary, enjoyed her company, and they always ask her for help when it comes to picking dresses and the like, for Hibari's fashion sense, in their opinion, was probably the best in Fuyuki City, and she was just as good at it, if not better, than when it comes to fighting.

As friends and subordinates of the silver-haired skylark, true to their word, the girls accomplished their task of taking pictures of the unconscious young men while they were in the 'perfect form.' However, once that was done, they were free to do whatever they want with them.

"Now then," the Vice President Fujimura Taiga began, as she looked at her companions, each of them holding several items in their hands, which include a bamboo sword, permanent ink markers, spray paint, and the like, including the ones which the scoundrels used to write graffiti on the walls... as well as bras, panties, and other female lingerie.

Fortunately or unfortunately for the poor rule breakers, depending on perspective, their type of creativity is somewhat diverse from their President, who is somewhat of a perfectionist. The skylark always made sure that her work was class and beautiful, so much so that she was able to make a guy look like a girl. Taiga and the rest, on the other hand... do not care about such perfection, and whatever creativity they have, it usually turns into a mess, into something much worse.

Still, it did not matter which one it was, since both set of pictures were high class blackmail materials.

"Let us begin..." the brown-haired female stated with an evil gleam in her eyes, a gleam which was also present in the eyes of every single female in the room.

Blackmail. A method of control and deception, forcing someone to submit to your will by using their dirty little secrets and similar types of information against them.

And it is the favourite method used by Hibari Fuyu, the_ kind_ and _peace loving_ President of the Student Council of Homurahara Academy, a method which was proving to be quite effective in helping maintain the peace and order in the school.

It is true that she believed that 'actions speak louder than words,' and thus she has no qualms with using violence to get her way. However, at the same time, even though she did enjoy beating people up, she also believed that 'brain beats brawn...' most of the time, and thus she actually had just as much fun having something over the heads of the students, if not more, than just simply beating them up.

However, even if she did not have anything on them, with her artistic and creative mind, it was an easy task for the skylark and her minions to create blackmail material... and the embarassing pictures of the three delinquents that were taken by her subordinates was a prime example, said pictures becoming part of a large collection of dirty little secrets which, due to the vast amount, had to be housed in one steel cabinet.

Still, even though it was true she did enjoy what she was doing, she was, at the same time, doing it for the benefit of the school, although more particularly, for the benefit of those important to her. She was a selfish person, and someone like her supposedly only cared for herself.

Her care and selfishness, however, extended to those who she considered as family and friends, for no matter how she tried to deny it to herself, no matter how she tried to keep her distance, their bonds had simply become too strong, and she considered them as a part of her, as an extension of herself.

_A single cloud will not be able to do much by itself, but once they gather in large numbers, they can overwhelm and shroud even the great blue sky._

**xxxXXXxxx**

**One Year Ago...**

People change. Students mature. Children grow up. Such is an inevitable cycle. However, as to how they will change, mature or grow up, can be influenced by outside factors, and it could either for the better or for the worse.

In the case of the delinquents... no, ex –delinquents of Homurahara Academy, their change was more in the direction of the positive than the negative, and it was all thanks to the school's Student Council President, Hibari Fuyu.

Due to her unorthodox methods, which was a mixture of physical violence and psychological attacks, the silver-haired female had earned the nickname 'Demon President' of Moburahara. She was cold and ruthless, and she, along with her minions, members of the Student Council, would remorselessly dish out punishment on those who break the school rules and tarnish the reputation of Moburahara. It did not matter what offense was committed, as long as a violation was done, then the offender was 'done for.' Even minor ones, such as not throwing trash (like a piece of candy wrapper) into the trash can could already earn them a detention, or else have them staying after school to help up with the cleaning, which was considered by many as a most demeaning task.

Thus, at the beginning, this has earned her the hatred of many of the students in the school.

As time passed, however, they realized that there was more to the silver-haired skylark than they originally thought. True, she was cruel, and showed no mercy to rule breakers, but as they eventually realized, it was not entirely true. It took a while, but as the months went by, they saw that their President was not as cruel as they originally thought.

At first they thought that the Demon President and her cronies were simply looking for an excuse to bully people. However, as they realized, it was not the case. True, they did punish and beat up people, but they only did it exclusively to those who break the school rules, and they were particularly harsh to their own kind, bullies like themselves, who liked to lord it over other people.

Unlike bullies, however, Hibari and her 'legitimate gang' never hurt the innocent. And it was for this reason that the Student Council eventually gained the respect and support of the majority of the students, for many of them would turn to the Student Council for help, having realized that it was something which they would never be refused, so long as they were right. They acted like thugs and hoodlums, but unlike thugs and hoodlums, the group which led the school always sided with and defended the weak and those who did no wrong.

Eventually, even though the system could be considered as Spartan, the students got used to it, and in fact, found that they were still able to enjoy their school life. Even those with the tendency to be rebellious, respected her, although their reason was different from the others.

The outcasts and the oppressed began to view the Student Council President as their friend and protector.

The delinquents began to view the Demon President as their ringleader, as their boss, and thus they considered her law as the law.

Either way, whatever their reasons, the students of Homurahara had become united under one banner. During her first year as the President, Hibari Fuyu attained the position because nobody wanted it, and it was the teachers who compelled her to service... and the service which she gave to the school, in general was quite remarkable.

At first, the students, and even some of the teachers, thought that she was abusing the position and simply enjoyed the feeling of having power, having a convenient excuse to show others that they were beneath her feet. By the end of the year, however, all of them have been proven wrong.

The reason why she managed to retain the post was because she was elected by the student body, in an election, the first election ever held in Homurahara (In the previous the president was handpicked by the faculty.) which she and her entire group won by a landslide. Despite the changes in views, there will always be those who would oppose her, yet with her infamy turned into popularity, it was no longer possible to topple her or her allies.

The Student Council, proved themselves quite capable, and during their time in their positions, they have made improvements that could be either seen or felt all over the school, something which none of the previous generations of the council had not been able to do.

The classrooms had been fixed, the walls were painted, and the old and creaking chairs and tables were replaced by new ones, something which the students, especially the studious ones, benefitted from.

Before, lack of funds had been considered a problem by the clubs in the school. As it turned out, however, the budget allotted was actually sufficient, and the only reason why it seemed that way was because of poor management. And in case the financial resources were found lacking, Hibari was able to come up with a very good argument, concrete enough for them to be able to acquire it.

Under the new Student Council, there had been many changes, and they implemented several policies and measures to help out the school clubs as well, who had now been given new equipments for their use.

And all these changes were felt in their subtle ways, for the performance of students, both in academics and extra-curricular activities have improved significantly. The school was undergoing a major reform, under the leadership of Hibari Fuyu,

Of course, even though the students saw her in a better light, they had never forgotten how terrifying she could be to those who get on her nerves. Despite everything she had done for them, despite the fact that they now like her and respect her,that did not change that particular view of her. To the students of Homurahara Academy, Hibari Fuyu is, and will be always be known as the 'Demon President.

It was a view which most of the students shared...

It was summer vacation, and presently, three delinquents, who wanted to take a break and relax, had just entered Aria Cafe. According to the rumours, the restaurant was a popular place to hang out in for two reasons. The first of course was the quality of food.

And the second... was the cosplay type of service which the waitresses offer.

The three delinquents were aware. They knew that the silver-haired female was skilled when it comes to designing and sewing dresses. After all, the three of them had a humiliating first-hand experience in her clutches related to this particular talent of hers. Well, they did change for the better, so they no longer had to worry about her breathing on their backs, but still, the trauma they experienced from the incident was something they would never forget for as long as they lived.

"Welcome, young Masters. Please have a seat."

Which was why said delinquents could not help but feel their jaw drop at the sight which greeted their eyes.

"Demon Prez... No way..."

"What the hell?"

Yes, it was true that they heard rumours about it, that the so-called Demon President was actually working in a Maid Cafe. However, most of them thought that she only worked there because of her skills as a dress and costume designer, not as one of the maids herself.

"Hmmm? Is there anything wrong, young Masters?"

Still, even if she was working as maid and wore a frilly dress, the three male students would have probably still been able to maintain their composure. After all, it was not surprising for a student to have a part-time job. In fact, even the three of them were working by the docks every weekend. Besides, harsh and cruel though she was, the Demon President was fond of making dresses, and the fact that she liked wearing such clothes should not really come as much of a surprise.

However, smiling and acting the way she was, like a sweet, innocent girl, was entirely out of the question.

Hibari Fuyu was acting like a completely different person, and this fact shook the three delinquents to the core... they were basically freaked out with the revelation.

_Creepy._

With the image and reputation which she had built and instilled in the thoughts of the three hoodlums, it was just too much for them.

Thus, unable to take anymore, the three friends went for most logically correct course of action they could think of in their stricken state, which was to...

"AAAARGH!"

"IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!"

Run away screaming, before they lose any more of their already crumbling sanity.

"..."

And as they stormed out of the cafe for fear of mental health, the other customers at the shop could not help but gape in wonder at the incident.

"Hibari-chan, what was that all about?"

"I apologize for the disturbance, Masters, but it appears they have mistaken me for somebody else."

"Oh, alright then."

The silver-haired skylark smiled warmly at the customers, and it was enough to make them forget about what just happened and had now gone back to enjoying their meals. After all, there was no possible way anyone in their right minds would call their kind and gentle 'Hibari-chan,' a demon.

Unknown to them, however, underneath the mask of kindness and gentleness, their 'Hibari-chan' was actually neither kind nor gentle, and if they could read her thoughts... they would have probably preferred going to Hell rather than go through the various cruel and brutal punishments which the silver-haired skylark promised to make the three herbivores who just about humiliated her in front of her customers undergo once school starts.

Fashion designs. The art of making dressing and dressing up people was indeed one of the talents of the Student Council President. And they also knew that this talent was used by the president in various ways, which include making money... as well as utilizing it as a form of punishment for rule breakers.

For people who really piss her off, however, the President of the Student Council would not resort to her usual methods of either beating people up or forcing them into humiliating situations. No, the moment someone made her really angry, she would resort to something different... and _worse_... even worse than being bitten to death...

The moment she got home from school after work, Hibari immediately went up to her room, and opened the computer...

"Kumo Yura... Class 2-B... _Arachnophobia_... Takauchi Sora... Class 2-B... _Acrophobia_... Konmei Nagoya... Class 2-B... _Claustrophobia..._" the silver-haired skylark muttered to herself, a cruel smile appearing on her lips, as she read and reviewed the student profiles of three particular students which, due to the fact that it was information compiled by her and her trusted Student Council members, were quite accurate...

**xxxXXXxxx**

**Six Months Ago...**

To the people around her, Hibari Fuyu had always been known as a strong person. True, their view about her had somehow changed as time passed, having seen various sides to her. At times she was just your average quiet and studious school girl who is the top of her class. When she was pissed off, however, or when she was on duty, she would transform into a devil... the Demon President of the Student Council.

Outside of the school, however, as many of them soon found out, she was actually a popular waitress working at a maid-cafe, whose personality was surprisingly one hundred and eighty degrees different from her Demon President persona.

And as for her closest friends, meaning all the members of the Student Council, they also know that aside from working at a maid cafe, her talents as a fashion designer had become well known, and despite being young, she currently had a contract with Versailles, a company which produces expensive fashion goods like bags, dresses, clothing, etc...

Still, if there was one thing which each and every single one of them knew, is that she was brave and courageous, and there was nothing, there was no one, who is able to intimidate her, not even the teachers. She would never back down, not even when she was facing the leader of the local yakuza in Fuyuki City.

"Good evening, Hibari-chan." The old man, RaIga Fujimura, greeted a silver-haired female.

"Oh, good evening Raiga Ojiisan."

"Jumping over the fence to enter my house as usual I see? Can't you knock on the door like a normal person would?"

"If I was visiting any other house, that is probably what I would have done," the girl replied with a grimace. "However, I am not on good terms with your bodyguards, as you already know."

"You are my granddaughter's best friend, and my men have orders not to touch you," the old yakuza leader told the teenage girl. "They are loyal to me, and despite personal grudges, they will not harm you. I know you had some conflict in the past, but I assure you they are trustworthy."

Said teenage girl however frowned in response.

"I already know that they can be trusted," she replied in cool voice. "The one that cannot be trusted is me. Although, if you have no problem with having your front door destroyed every time I visit, then I am willing to oblige."

As she said these words the old man could not help but sweatdrop, as he recalled that particular incident.

Unlike most syndicate organizations, the Fujimura Group was more of a peace-loving one, and unlike most yakuza who engage in shady businesses like smuggling weapons, drug trafficking, and other similar operations, they only engage in legitimate endeavours, invest in legitimate businesses, and through the years, they have accumulated quite a lot of influence.

Of course, just like most yakuza, the Fujimura Group also engage in lending money, in other words, they are also typical loan sharks. And just like any typical loan sharks, if the borrower refused to pay... the yakuza still stuck to traditional methods of intimidation.

And it was in one of these circumstances that Hibari and Raiga's men first met. Normally, the silver-haired skylark would not have involved herself in such an affair. After all, the Fujimura Group may be loan sharks, but they are known to be friendlier and more reliable than the local banks, and their interest rate was actually even lower and more payable, not to mention that said interest was set, and does not increase on an annual basis unlike with most local banks.

And aside from that, the Fujimura Group actually worked with the local authorities in helping maintain peace and security in the community.

The Fujimura Group, despite being yakuza, had their own sets of principles. Thus, intimidation was limited to just that, intimidation. The men that were sent were fearsome-looking, but they never hit their targets. Due to Raiga's connection with the local police, as well as the fact that he was in good terms with some of the higher ups (not to mention that all members of the Fujimura Group had the law drilled into their heads to make sure they do not cross the line), getting payment through legal means was not a problem.

Of course, if the borrower was the one who raised their hand first, threw a punch first or drew a knife or any kind of weapons, it was a different story altogether. In that case, Raiga's men were given permission to use brute force. However, even then, they were warned never to his women, children or the elderly, or else risk getting a beaten up badly themselves and get kicked out of the Group, a risk which none of Raiga's men were willing to take. After all, the reason why they follow Raiga was not simply because of money or influence but because the man, despite being the leader of the syndicate, was a good person.

Most of them, after all, were just street urchins, homeless orphans who had nowhere to go. Thanks to Raiga, however, they were given a chance to have a life. None of them were simply thugs after all, since all of them had been treated by Raiga like a real parent would, giving them food, shelter, as well as (some against their will) sending them to school for proper education. They of course had been given the option to leave, but while some did indeed set about on their own paths, many decided to remain out of loyalty and gratitude to the old man. Even those who had left, despite living their own lives, were still loyal to the old man, and would visit from time to time.

The Fujimura Group was typically recognized as yakuza, but in reality, it was more of an orphanage than it was a syndicate group, a place for those who have nowhere else to go to.

Which was why it was quite unfortunate that the first encounter between the Fujimura Group and the Demon President of Homurahara turned out the way it did.

It was just a coincidence that they met. It was during a Sunday one year before, and the Hibari was headed for Shinto (dragged by her best friend) to have some fun (her best friend at least) and get a break from the ever stressful council work (Hibari, however, would have preferred the monstrous paperwork than be forced to go to a crowded place)... And that was when they met.

Due to the fact that Raiga's men were wearing black suits and shades, the Demon President and her best friend, who was none other than Raiga's own granddaughter, mistook them for simple thugs. Well, they were thugs, but they still had moral principles.

Perhaps if they were simply wearing black suits and shades, it would not have turned into a brawl, but the fact that one of them was crouched on top of a girl who was screaming with all her might made it impossible.

A fight broke out... no, more like a beat down. Raiga had not seen it himself, but based from the injuries that his men received, it was the best term for what happened.

Despite being trained and experienced when it comes to fighting, the group Raiga sent were taken down quickly. Later on, the men Raiga sent reported that the reason why they did not fight seriously was because his granddaughter was there, but one of them, the strongest of the group, admitted that he fought seriously... yet still lost.

And as for Taiga, despite the fact that she recognized her grandfather's men, she did not back down, and brutally struck using her infamous bamboo sword, the Tora Shinai.

Of course, it was found out later that it was just a simple misunderstanding. Apparently, the girl on the ground had an accident, and the reason why she was screaming was because the man who was apparently crouched on top of her, was actually helping to put back her arm into its socket, which had been dislocated because of the accident, not because the man was trying to sexually assault her. The girl confirmed it herself, and in fact she was actually thankful to the man, who saved her from her fall, and thus the dislocation was the only injury she suffered. In fact, the one who saved her actually suffered much worse injuries than her, and because of an action from the goodness of his heart, he ended up with a few broken ribs.

If the truth did not come out, however, he would probably have been in a coma.

Hibari Fuyu, the President of the Student Council of Homurahara Academy, was indeed a dangerous individual. Still, despite this fact, Raiga decided to let the incident go, not just because the girl was friends Taiga, but because she was not a bad person, and had, overall, been a positive influence on his granddaughter.

Due to her simple wish of wanting to be on the same class as the skylark, Taiga had gone through great lengths and took her studies, her least favourite activity, seriously, just so that she could be in the same class as her best friend. Thanks to Hibari, Raiga's grand daughter had changed for the better.

"Mmmmm...mmmm!"

Though not entirely...

"Hibari-chan?"

"Yes, Raiga Ojiisan?"

"What is that?" The old man pointed to the large struggling object which the silver-haired female was carrying, although in truth, he already knew the answer.

"The reason why I'm here," the skylark replied flatly, as she unceremoniously dropped the sack she was carrying, untied the ropes and flipped it upside down to remove its content, which turned out to be...

"She's been drinking again, hasn't she?"

The silver-haired female nodded in response. "I'll be taking my leave now." Taiga's best friend bowed respectfully to Raiga.

In truth, the old man actually wanted to ask the girl to stay for dinner, seeing as he liked the girl and saw her as family, but before he could call out to her she had already jumped over the fence and left.

Turning his attention to his granddaughter, the head of the Fujimura Group could not help but sigh, as he looked down at the messed up lump on the ground, who was glaring at him with drunken madness in her eyes, struggling with all her might to break free, yet unable to move, her arms and legs both bound by handcuffs, while chains were wrapped around her as an extra precaution, her mouth jammed shut with paper to make sure she could not shout out profanities.

Yes, it is true that Raiga's granddaughter had become more serious and mature when she became friends with Hibari. Even though they were the best of friends, Taiga saw the silver-haired female as a rival, having been the only person to have beaten her in a serious fight. And ever since that time, Taiga had been striving hard, doing her best, to become better than her friend in any way possible. She started training in swordsmanship more seriously, started studying harder, and worked much harder on pretty much everything else.

And that, also included drinking alcohol, for ever since Taiga noted that Hibari was not good at holding in liquor, having found out about it when the two of them, along with the other members of the Student Council went to karaoke (One glass of beer and the silver-haired skylark was out for the count.), she had been doing her best to maintain her advantage, for it was the one point in which Taiga was better than her best friend.

At least, that was how it seemed... to Taiga at least.

Raiga could not help but chuckle to himself, as he ordered two of his men to bring the Tiger of Fuyuki to her room.

Since Taiga was the one who was going to succeed him as the next head of the Fujimura Group, she needed to be prepared, and so Raiga allowed her to continue drinking.

After all, having a strong alcohol tolerance was important, especially against subtle enemies and even business partners whose tactic could include dousing the person they were talking to with alcohol , as per Raiga's personal experience (though in his case, he was the one who used this tactic against his opponent) to get them to do what they want (such as signing an unfavourable deal.).

Unknown to his granddaughter, however, Hibari, unlike what she thought, was actually quite tolerant to alcohol, and as far as he could tell, it was nearly impossible for the silver-haired female to get drunk.

Raiga knew this for a fact. After all, unknown to his grand daughter, during Taiga's 15th Birthday which ended up with a drinking session, her best friend, as Raiga observed, actually joined in once Taiga was asleep, and was in fact, the last person standing, and managed to remain sober despite consuming the contents of ten bottles of beer.

And when Raiga asked Hibari about that particular incident, the silver-haired skylark merely shrugged, and told him that the reason why she fell asleep was not because she was affected by the drink, but because she did not want to sing, and drinking alcohol and pretending to be knocked out by it was a perfect excuse, an excuse which she had found effective and had been using ever since.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Now, technically, this is the first chapter of this fic, but I decided to make a prologue since I thought it would be necessary.

At first, partly due to my disappointment in the ending of the manga Katekyo Hitman Reborn, I was actually not that enthusiastic about writing this, and the only reason why I did was because someone asked me to. Now, however, I am slightly more inspired than before, and thus this chapter was written. This chapter focuses more on her regular lifestyle, but the next one , the next chapter, will focus more on the plot, and will be more serious.

As for KHR universe, I am only following canon up to the Future Arc. The Shimon arc and the arcs after that will be ignored, since this story is not about them after all, it is focused on the Fate Universe, not the KHR universe.

Yep, a lot of ideas had come to mind, particularly due to the fact that I had once again watched Fate Zero since it was aired in one of the channels, and yeah, inspiration hit me. At least the reason I am focusing on this fic is no longer just because I was coerced to do so, and now I must admit I am truly enjoying it.

By the way, title has been changed again, but with same meaning.

But enough about that...

And like always , I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then people...


	3. First Encounter

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, as well as the ideas I borrowed from other manga/stories/anime/etc, and I am borrowing them purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

**First Encounter**

**Present Day...**

When we speak about occultism, theories on dimensions say that there is a 'power' from outside this world.

Pinpoint the beginning of all things. That is the dearest wish of all magi, the 'root', ... The place of God, Akashic Records, the records of the beginning and the end of all things that creates everything in this world.

Two hundred years ago, there were those who put into execution experiments on that place 'outside of this world.'

Einzbern, Makiri, Tōsaka. Called the 3 families of the beginning, what they designed was the reproduction of the 'Holy Grail', the subject of many traditions. Expecting that the summoning of the Grail would realize any wish, the three families of magi offered their secret art to finally manifest the 'omnipotent container'.

However, that Grail could only grant the wish of one person. As soon as that truth was known, the bonds of cooperation were washed in blood by conflicts.

That is the beginning of the 'War of the Holy Grail', 'Heaven's Feel'.

Henceforth, once every sixty years, the Grail is summoned again in the far-East land of 'Fuyuki'. And now, it is on its fourth cycle, the 'blood,' Holy Grail War.

The Grail, as part of the ritual, selects seven magi who have the power to take it, and distributes a huge amount of prana among them, to render possible the summoning of Heroic Spirits called 'Servants'. The conclusion of a battle to the death decides which of the seven is most suitable to receive the Grail.

Heroic Spirits beings that accomplished great achievements such as saving the world and, after their death, became the object of worship and lore. As a result, they are placed outside the cycle of transmigration of the soul and ascend to an existence closer to a Divine Spirit in order to become a power that protects humanity.

And each one of them is a being of great power, and as should be expected of entities who had managed such great feats, they are many times stronger than a normal human being, even the magus that summons them. Modern magic hardly has any effect on them, due to the great power they wield.

True, they need a Master to keep them anchored to the world, but generally speaking, no human being or magus could even hope to match a Servant.

Having already seen the clash between clash between the Heroic Spirits, the Masters participating in the Fourth Heaven's Feel, even if they did not have prior knowledge on the Holy Grail War or on Heroic Spirits, knew that they could never hope to win a confrontation with a Servant, let alone match one. For they were just too fast, too strong, for any normal person, or even a highly accomplished magus, to overcome. They had seen it, they had felt it, the massive aura, the outrageous amount of power that a Servant possessed.

And it was for this reason that a Master's role had always been to support their Servant from behind or from the sidelines.

Which was why the ones who had been watching the clash in the harbour could not help but gasp in surprise at the scene which unfolded before their eyes.

A human cannot defeat a legend. A magus cannot match a Heroic Spirit. A Master cannot defeat a Servant aside from his own, with the use of Command Seals.

Because of this, the battles of Heaven's Feel is usually fought between Master against Master, Servant against Servant, but never Master against Servant. In the case that a Master, due to an enemy's use of tactics, is forced to fight a Servant on his own, the result was pretty much obvious: the Master would die.

The air in the harbour was tense, as two raging duels were fought, two pairs of combatants fighting against each other, none of them giving their opponent an inch.

The first pair of fighters are the Servants Saber and Berserker, both of whom proving themselves to be evenly matched. Saber was slightly panting, having just fought two powerful and skilled opponents in less than an hour, yet the valiant King of Knights proved herself worthy of her renown as one of the best sword fighters in history, managing to fight Berserker to a draw despite her exhaustion and the hand injury she had previously received from Lancer which limited her sword's manoeuvrability.

And speaking of Lancer.

The Servant of the Spear, one of the three knight classes. A Heroic Spirit with a lance for a Noble Phantasm. In this particular War, it was Diarmuid of the Love Spot who had been summoned for that role, and he had proven himself to be quite the formidable opponent. He managed to fight toe to toe against Saber in melee, the Servant who is supposed to be the strongest of all Servant Classes, as well as in short range combat. No, not only that. For not only did he fight evenly with the King of Knights, he was also able to beat her.

Their duel might have been interrupted, but if it went on, Lancer would have probably been the one to come out on top. He had managed to injure Saber with his Noble Phantasm, Gae Buidhe, the Yellow Spear of Mortality, inflicting a wound which is impossible to heal. It was only a minor wound, barely more than a scratch, but the fact that it was the tendons that were damaged greatly affected the Servant of the Sword's ability to manoeuvre her blade, a huge disadvantage.

Yes, Lancer was without a doubt a powerful Servant.

And yet, despite his skills, he was having a difficult time, facing off, not against an enemy Servant.

"Hmp."

But an enemy Master.

"It is fine to assume that the Master's role is to support the battle from the back... However there are always exceptions. There are Masters with the ability to fight head on."

Had these words been uttered a few minutes before, those who would have heard would have scoffed or snorted, thinking that the speaker was saying something absurd or was out of his mind.

However, after witnessing that particular display, they have no choice but to accept the theoretical-bordering-fictional scenario as fact, and all of them, despite knowing the individual was an enemy, could not help but gape in wonder.

It was a surprise attack, that much was true, yet that did not change that a generally accepted notion was disproved. First the Servant of Madness appeared, immediately charging the Golden Archer, before turning his attention towards the Servant of the Spear the moment the bowman left. Then, when Saber and Lancer decided to team up against the Mad Warrior, the girl was suddenly in their midst, as if from nowhere.

The girl was the sixth Master, of that there was no doubt. As it turned out, due to the fact that Berserker could speak, he was either not completely insane or not insane at all. Still, even if the Servant did not confirm it, the presence of three Command Seals on the back of the girl's left hand proved that she was without a doubt a Master.

And indeed, her appearance had caused quite a stir. Most of them knew of the Einzbern family and their physical features, and thus, they were shocked at the revelation, and various theories began forming in their minds.

The first thing that came to their mind that the girl was a fail-safe, an insurance, to make sure that the Einzberns would win. If the other Einzbern Servant and Master pair would fail, then another would take their place. However, if that was the case, then Berserker and Saber should have been working together, not trying to kill each other.

Of course, it was possible that it was all just a show, and Tokiomi, having used a similar scheme, was the one who immediately thought of this theory, but based from the report of his apprentice, Kirei, who could see the battle through the eyes of Assassin, the duel between the two, unlike the farce between Assassin and Archer, was true.

The one who was most affected by the turn of events, however, was none other than the Servant who was facing her.

_Who is she?_ Thought the Servant of the Lance to himself, as he thrust his shorter spear at his opponent's side, who countered by changing its trajectory using one of her tonfas, while pushing her other one forward, going for another blow at Lancer's temple.

Lancer, however, already anticipated this, and thus, instead of retreating he thrust his red spear forward. Having predicted that type of attack, as well as the fact that his spear was longer than her tonfas, even though they were at just about the same speed, he knew that his strike would connect first.

The girl, however, seemed to have noticed this as well, and immediately ceased her charge and retreated by jumping backwards.

"You're really good," the Servant of the Spear commented, unable to stop himself from praising his opponent, a praise that was true and sincere."You're not a Servant, and yet you were able to keep up with me. Tell me, what's your name?"

Still, asking who she is was a stupid question, that much Diarmuid knew, yet he was unable to stop himself. The Holy Grail War was a war after all, not a duel. And unlike in a duel, where the way of the knight and honor codes strictly apply, even he knew fully well, despite abiding the codes that these codes do not apply in a real battlefield.

He tried to hold on to his knightly ways of course, but he knew, that the first rule of a real war, no matter the scale, is that victory is all that matters. And for him, the greatest honour would be to succeed in acquiring the Holy Grail, so that he could present it to his Master.

Though in truth, when it comes right down to it in a war, honour is hardly relevant.

And since he, Lancer, was an enemy, it was unlikely for his opponent to give her name, even if he asked that question.

"Hibari Fuyu, Master of Berserker. And you are?"

To the Servant of the Spear's surprise, however, the silver-haired female actually gave him her name. True, she could be lying, but as far as the Servant of the Lance could tell, there was no deception in her voice. Of course, the name could have been fake and was just stated to throw him off, but still, the fact remains that Lancer was given a name, and thus, the code he follows requires him to give one... his real name in return.

Not that it really mattered. Based from the way she and her Servant fought, it was obvious that they already know his real name.

"And here I was thinking that my identity has already been exposed a while ago."

"I had been observing since you and Saber started fighting, so I already know your real name, omnivore," the silver-haired female stated. "However, I believe it is only right for you to say it yourself. We are fighting to the death after all, and I believe that telling your opponent your name is proper courtesy."

Hearing these words, the Knight of Fiana felt a smile tug up his lips. For a fleeting moment he was irritated when the girl called him an omnivore, but based from the look in her eyes, she was calling him that, not as a taunt, but out of respect.

"Very well, I am Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, a warrior who proudly served as a warrior of Fianna under Fionn Mac Cumhaill, and I have been summoned as a Servant for this war under the class Lancer."

"The Knight of Fianna, Diarmuid. You're as good as your legend says. However, I have seen you fight before, so I know that's not all you're capable of doing. Stop fooling around and show me what you've got."

As she said these words, the Servant of the Lance could not help but feel his smirk widen further. Yes, it was true. Lancer, admittedly, even though he had nearly been dealt serious damage during the girl's sudden appearance, had been underestimating her. Due to the fact that he was facing someone who was not a Servant, Lancer had not been fighting seriously at the beginning. However, as the battle progressed, he had been putting on more and more effort, as his enemy's speed continued to increase.

"So you noticed," the Knight of Fianna commented, as he resumed a fighting stance. "However, I could say the same for you. You're holding back as well."

But then, he was not the only one. Just like him, the girl had also been restraining herself as she tested the waters.

"Hmp."

The girl, upon hearing his comment, smiled in response, as she also took a battle position.

"Let's take this fight up a notch then shall we?"

For a moment there was a lull, a lull which lasted for a second, as the two combatants prepared themselves. Then...

The two fighters charged at each other. The distance between them was ten meters, but with the incredible speed that both of them possessed, they could close the distance in less than a second.

The two of them had been holding back, and they had been locked in a stalemate so far, a stalemate that would soon be broken, for the two warriors, whose initial clash was one that displayed skill and power that was out of this world, creating howling winds and causing destruction with each clash of the weapons to their surroundings, was actually just a warm-up. Now, they will be fighting seriously, without restraints, without holding back.

At least, they would have been able to, if not for an unexpected interruption...

**xxxXXXxxx**

At this time, a deafening rumble reverberated around.

It was a thunderbolt that suddenly visited the battlefield. It had the dizzying flash of lightning that contrived to make night into day, and a roar that boomed greater than any thunder.

"Aaalalalalalalaie!"

The lightning didn't descend from the sky, but traversed across the ground. No, that thing that looked like lightning was the galloping chariot entangled by escaping electricity.

"?!"

The two fighters, who had been too focused on their duel, failed to notice their surroundings, and thus even with their speed and reflexes, they would not be able to dodge the two divine bulls that was bearing down on them. Both of them jumped backwards, but they knew it was not enough for both of them to avoid the raging animal. Whichever one of them the rider of the chariot decides to attack will be crushed.

Instead of trampling on them however, the two large bulls, at the last second, stopped about a foot away from them, and instead turned sharply and charged... in the direction of the other duelling pair.

Saber and Berserker, however, who were not the first targets, were already on heightened alert, and both warriors were no longer fighting. Instead, the two Servants had rushed to their Masters' sides, Saber to her unnamed Einzbern Master, while Berserker was now in front of his Master who had been duelling Lancer and who, incidentally, happened to look eerily identical to the Einzbern homunculus. And since silver hair and ruby red eyes were the main features of an Einzbern, it was highly possible that she was one as well.

Rider, mounted on his Noble Phantasm sped across the battlefield, and its overwhelming power of destruction left the watchers momentarily speechless.

Gordius Wheel... Its power obviously does not lie in fighting with individuals, but with armies. Even the gallop just then was carefully calibrated by Rider. Had Rider wanted to, any of the combatants would have fallen prey to those hooves and wheels.

Fortunately for them, however, that was not the Mounted Servant's intention.

"What is the meaning of this, King of Conquerors?"

The first one to recover and speak was Saber, the King of Knights, not even bothering to hide the irritation in her voice. It was true that she had been injured and her manoeuvrability has been diminished, but in truth, she had actually been winning her duel with Berserker. She did not know exactly why, but for some reason, all throughout their clash, she had the upper hand on the Mad Servant. Her instinct told her that Berserker may have been holding back, especially after seeing the Mad Warrior dominate Lancer, but it was also possible that the Servant of the Spear's fighting style, regardless of his Noble Phantasm's advantage over Berserker's, was just not suited for fighting the Mad Warrior. Either way, thanks to Rider's interference, she was deprived of the opportunity to eliminate Berserker.

"I apologize for interrupting your battle, King of Knights, but I need to speak with them first." At this the Mounted Servant averted his gaze from the Servant of the Sword and turned to face the other Master and Servant pair.

"For a Master to match a Servant in battle, and a girl at that is quite impressive." The King of Conquerors commented, as he locked eyes with the silver-haired female who had gotten his interest. In truth, he also noticed that resemblance between the Masters of the King of Knights and the black Warrior, but to the Mounted Servant, that was unimportant at the moment. With his impulsive nature, Rider could have easily pointed out that which was still unsaid.

However, even though he was impulsive and jovial, he was not stupid. He was the King of Conquerors after all, and an excellent politician in his own right. Thus, he knew very well that pointing that out could ruin his plan.

"If you are going to ask us to forfeit our claim to the Grail and join you in taking over the world, then I must apologize, but the answer is no..." The silver-haired female stated, while the Mad Warrior who was standing beside her wore a look that said that he agreed with his Master's decision.

The King of Conquerors could not help but sigh. The girl, apparently, had read his mind. Sadly, while he was amused that the girl managed to figure out what he was going to ask, having given the same offer to Saber and Lancer, she, and in extension her Servant, just like the King of Britain and the Knight of Fianna, could not be swayed either.

"Although, if you could convince us that your platform as a ruler will be beneficial to the world, we might just change our minds. In that case, we would not mind helping you take over, King of Conquerors..." The girl stated.

For a moment, there was silence. And then...

"What?!/ Ehhhh?!"

"You...you are going to accept this moron's ridiculous proposal?!"

"So if you find my way of kingship as acceptable, you are willing to become my subordinate?" The Mounted Servant inquired, ignoring his Master's comment, or rather, was too distracted and delighted that someone was considering his offer to care.

"Subordinate? No, but I am willing to be your ally and help you achieve your goal, so long as we find your methods acceptable, along with a few conditions."

"Conditions? Are you offering terms to me?"

"I am," the girl replied. "Firstly, once you conquer the world, I want you to hand over control of Japan to me."

?!

"As for the other conditions... would you mind giving us a lift? If you are _really_ planning to take over the world, it would be best not to discuss how you are going to go about it in the presence of potential enemies."

"Hmmm. I suppose you're right," the King of Conquerors nodded. "Very well, then, hop on, the two of you!"

The emotions of everyone in the harbour shifted, from one of tension to one of utter disbelief. The Master of Berserker had already surprised them quite a lot that evening, and now she had done so yet again, but in a different way. The silver-haired female, a Master, had just proven herself to be quite capable, having gone toe to toe with Lancer, a Heroic Spirit, in combat.

Yet no one, not in a thousand years, except perhaps for the Mounted Servant himself, who seemed truly confident with his convincing skills, did any of them expect anyone to accept Rider's invitation... especially that particular Master.

"Farewell for now, mighty heroes of legend. The next time we meet. I'll incite all of my hot blood to fight you!"

Thus, in their dumbfounded state, all they could do was watch, watch, as Rider jovially waved his hand and bid everyone farewell, directing his lightning-bull driven Gordius Wheel up into the sky, which was now occupied not by two, but by four people, with the two new occupants who had caused all this to come about sitting at the back end of the chariot.

"..."

"Retreat, Lancer. That is enough for tonight." The voice of Lancer's Master echoed throughout the harbour after a while. Normally, Kayneth Archibald would have probably ordered his Servant to use this opportunity to take advantage of the Servant of the Sword's injuries, but after what he had seen, he decided to forego that thought for now. The exchange may seem a bit ridiculous, but he was no fool not to see the grave implications.

With the apparent alliance between a Master and Servant pair forged, not to mention the fact that one of the Masters could fight head on against Lancer, while the other happened to be his hated student, Waver Velvet, Kayneth decided that it would be best if Saber was left alive for the time being. The King of Knights, after all, had been willing to cooperate with Lancer, despite the fact that the latter was the cause of her injury, and thus the magus would not miss out on an opportunity, given the present situation, for a possible alliance.

"As you wish my Lord," Lancer replied to his Master, as he vanished into spirit form, but not before giving one meaningful glance and nod at Saber, who also nodded in response.

There was no need for words. They have confirmed the oath between them.

Their duel would continue another time.

Lancer though, in all honesty, was no longer sure which one of the three opponents he fought he would want to face first, as each one of them had been, admittedly, fun to battle against. He may have had a previous engagement with the King of Knights, but his duel with her was not the only one left unfinished: there was also Berserker, but the one that he found much more interesting, was Berserker's Master. For a warrior of such calibre to exist in modern times, not to mention the fact that said warrior was a girl who could resist his charms, Lancer could not help but look forward to clashing against her once more, just as much as he looked forward to finishing his duel with the King of Knights.

And as the first battle came to a close, all of the spectator's minds were focused on a similar line of thought. When they finally recovered from their stupor, despite the differences in their way of thinking, each and every single person who had watched the entire ordeal, despite having different opinions about it, were all thinking about her. For she was an unknown, an unexpected factor that no one, despite their reliable information network, that none of them had any about.

Of course, it was possible that they simply overlooked her, but regardless of whether or not that is what happened, it does not change the fact that they have little to no information on her.

And something unknown, is probably one of the most dangerous elements in the battlefield.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Emiya Kiritsugu was conflicted. At the moment, he was still able to maintain his machine like resolve and personality, but in truth, he was actually struggling to keep his composure.

And the reason behind this, was none other than that person, the girl who had revealed herself to be the Master of Berserker.

In truth, Kiritsugu had been shocked. Even though he had been away from fighting for nine years, and in his own terms, had 'become rusty,' he had already managed to regain most of what he had lost the moment he had stepped into a battlefield.

However, not once, during his countless missions, did he encounter someone like her. He had been in wars, in dangerous situations that in a way could be considered even more perilous than the Holy Grail War, but in all those times, he had never met someone who was at the same level of skill as Berserker's Master. Even though Kiritsugu did not like his own Servant, Saber, due to his background, he was fully aware that in a head-on fight, he did not stand a chance against her... or any of the other Servants, even the weakest one, for that matter. Which was why, he knew that the best way to eliminate his enemies would be eliminate the Master instead of the Heroic Spirit. After all, the Master is the one who supplies the Servant with mana to maintain their existence. Thus, if the Master dies, the Servant will follow soon after. It was a method that would be effective without a doubt...

Except against her.

Hibari Fuyu, an unknown factor. Even Maiya, who had been in charge of gathering information, did not have much intel on her. Her background, where she came from, who her family was, they have nothing on her as of present, not because information on her was classified, but simply because she had been overlooked. So far, they already have information on the identity of six of the Masters and their Servants, including himself.

Kotomine Kirei, Master of Assassin.

Tohsaka Tokiomi, Master of Archer.

Kayneth Archibald, Master of Lancer.

Waver Velvet, Master of Rider.

This was the list of Masters that Kiritusugu had information on. Originally, he had thought that Matou Kariya would be the Makiri representative, but when he read Maiya's report, he realized that he had been mistaken.

Three months before, the man had left Japan on a plane heading for the United States along with his niece, Matou Sakura, who had been adopted from the Tohsaka family. With her connections, Maiya tried to track him down further, but due to her having to multi-task, she stopped paying attention to him to focus on higher priorities, meaning the potential Masters of the War, and based from her opinion, Kariya was already out of the equation.

She had tried of course, to pry into the Matou mansion, which had become dormant since then, but due to its powerful Bounded Field, her bat familiars could not enter, and thus could not see what was happening inside the house, only in the yard. And in that amount of time, the Matou household had been apparently quiet, without any activity whatsoever.

Apparently though, was the exact term for it. With the reputation of the head of the Makiri family, the old worm Zouken, it was impossible that he did not have anything planned.

Regardless, when it comes to being a threat, however, it was Kotomine Kirei who Emiya Kiritsugu was previously afraid of the most.

Kotomine Kirei. Born in 1967, accompanying his father Risei to the holy grounds since youth, graduating in '81 from the Theological College of Manresa St. Ignacio... skipping two grades, and was the student council president. A man who became an Executor, one who eliminates the enemies of the Church. Yet surprisingly enough, he made a completely different turn by leaving this profession and instead joined the Mage Association.

His accomplishments and skills, when it comes right down to it, was actually, in Kiritsugu's opinion, just on the same level as the other participants. The reason why he was worried, however, was because he could not read the Kotomine Kirei, nor could he understand his intentions. And someone who he could not read, someone who he could not understand, was someone who Kiritsugu considered as dangerous, someone who could truly be a threat to him. The man's way of existence was something which Kiritsugu found most disturbing.

The moment he realized that Kotomine Kirei was just the puppet of Tokiomi, however, the Magus Killer, was slightly relieved. His instinct was still telling him to keep his guard up, but regardless, the man, ever so slightly, had dropped in threat level, although he was still on top of that list, even higher than the puppet master, Tokiomi, himself.

Now, however, another unknown had just come out of the blue.

Hibari Fuyu, Berserker's Master, was not simply 'troublesome' (meaning someone the Magus Killer had an eighty percent chance of defeating) in Kiritusugu's opinion, but just like Kirei Kotomine, she was someone dangerous, someone who Kiritsugu was not confident of defeating. As of present, the girl was now the one who Kiritsugu saw as the greatest threat.

Berserker's Master could fight at the level of a Servant and she was also unpredictable. Aside from that, Kiritsugu could not help but suspect that the girl was part of some scheme of the head of the Einzbern's family.

He knew that there was a fifty percent chance that Acht, the head of the Einzbern family, was behind this scheme, but as he analyzed it further, he knew that it was unlikely. The Magus Killer may be able to completely shut off his emotions and turn himself into a machine, but that did not weaken his ability to read other people's emotions and motives in the slightest. Acht may be a cruel man who did not have a single bit of love or affection for most people, and Kiritsugu actually hated him for throwing Irisviel into the wilderness during a blizzard, but the man, he knew, had full trust and confidence in his abilities. But even if he did not, that meant that the girl was indeed part of the old man's scheme.

Hibari Fuyu. She was, as of present, as hard to read as the Master of Assassin, but once Maiya, who is an expert at recoinaissance gains information on her, she would be easier to understand, and thus easier to deal with. After all, her armband, which read Homurahara Academy Student Council, was already a dead giveaway.

No, the real reason why the Magus Killer feared her was not because of her fighting capabilities, nor was it because of the Einzbern head's possible involvement.

The real reason why Emiya Kiritsugu feared the girl was something else.

The girl was fast, and had great reflexes, to the point that she was even able to go head on against the Servant of the Spear. However, even if that was the case, it would have been possible to snipe her.

And indeed, several opportunities had presented themselves. Due to the graveness of the situation, Kiritsugu, based from his analysis of the situation, decided that it would be best to eliminate Berserker's Master there and then. She was, after all a potential threat, due to immense melee combat capabilities.

However, even if she had immense combat capabilities, she still had a weak point. Whether she was a human or homunculus was not important. The important point is that, she was definitely not a Servant, which meant that she, unlike Servants, was not immune to bullets, and if hit in the right spot, like the head, she would die instantly.

Due to his better position and angle, the Magus Killer knew it was best for him to take the shot himself, while Maiya continued to observe Assassin. Once the shot was fired, it would definitely alert the Servant of Stealth, but if they played their cards carefully, they might be able to escape.

Of course, if they couldn't there was always the option of using the Command Seal on Saber to summon her to his side instantly.

And yet... he had failed. He was not able to eliminate Berserker's Master. However, he failed, not because he missed, but because, no matter how hard he tried, no matter how hard he pushed himself...

...The Magus Killer was unable to pull the trigger.

"_...you can make your actions completely removed from your emotions – regular hit men can only obtain it after many years of trials. However, you had that since you were born. What a surprising talent."_

He remembered the words that her mentor, who Kiritsugu saw and loved like real family, like her own mother, told him before she died, her death being caused by none other than Kiritsugu himself.

In truth, the Magus Killer had a simple wish... a simple and childish wish, one which he held on to even up to this day, when he was already a full-grown adult.

His wish was for everyone in this world to be happy; that was all that he asked for.

He knew that for any existence in this world, the only two alternatives are sacrifice, or salvation... After understanding that, he would never be able to empty the scale plates... From that day on, he set his mind to work on being the one to tip the scale.

To abate the grief in this world, there was no other, more efficient way.

To save even one life on one side, he had to forsake one life on the other side. That is, to let the majority of people survive, he had to kill a minority of people.

Therefore, rather than saving people for the sake of saving them, he excelled at the art of killing people.

Again and again, he kept painting his hands the colour of blood, but he never flinched.

Never questioning the righteousness of his acts, nor ever doubting his goal, he forced himself to only faultlessly tip the scale.

Never ever misjudging the value of a life. With no regard to the humility of one's existence, and with no regard to its age, all lives were weighed evenly.

With no discrimination, he saved lives, and, with no discrimination, he killed.

This was the way Kiritsugu had lived his life, he did everything in his power to save as many people as he can, yet in truth, his wish was not to save many people: his wish was to save everyone.

Despite living in conflict and contradiction, he had not once faltered from this path. It did not matter to him who was sacrificed, as long as he saved more people than those he killed, it was fine.

That is how impartial he is. He would kill his friends, he would kill his loved ones. He would kill even those who were precious to him, as long as it meant that more people will be saved than those who will be damned, even if the ones who will be the damned are those people he truly cared for.

Yet now, his journey and suffering would soon come to an end. With the power of the almighty artefact known as the Holy Grail, he will finally be able to stop, to retire from his suffering. If he managed to obtain it, he will be able to have his wish granted. He would be able to save everyone.

Thus, spurred on by this belief, Kiritsugu had once again become the cold killing machine known as Magus Killer, to pursue this goal.

Kiritsugu killed his own father with a bullet through his back.

He shot down a plane that was being piloted by the person who he loved like his own mother.

He was going to sacrifice his wife, who was meant to be the vessel for the Holy Grail, without hesitation.

And yet...

...he couldn't shoot her. Even at her most vulnerable moments, Kiritsugu could not fire, and he could not help but feel angry with himself. Countless opportunities to eliminate an enemy, wasted.

Because the moment he placed his finger around the trigger... the image of his daughter popped into his head.

"_Papa..."_

Ilya... Kiritsugu did not know why, but every time he looked at the tonfa-wielding female, he could not help but be reminded of his daughter. His daughter, small and frail, yet lively, the small bundle of joy who Kiritsugu loved more than anything in the world.

And it was a problem, a grave dilemma, which the Magus Killer was suffering from, a weakness which he needed to remove.

Win the Holy Grail War. Use the Holy Grail to grant his wish. Return to Germany to embrace and wrap his arms around his daughter once more. It was easier said than done.

Yet he knew that it must be done. His emotions, after all, were simply confusing him. The girl, Hibari, despite her appearance, her voice, and her aura, was not Ilya. She was nobody, a complete stranger, an enemy, an obstacle, that was blocking his path, and must be removed, so that he can achieve his objectives. At the moment he may not yet be stable enough to do so, but the next time they meet, the next time the opportunity presented itself, Kiritsugu would kill Berserker's Master without hesitation.

"Maiya, how are things on your end?"

"All the preparations have been completed."

"Good, we will commence operation in half an hour."

For now, though, the Magus Killer decided to focus on the more pressing matter at hand. For the King of Knights to be able to regain full use of her abilities, the cursed wound on her hand needed to be healed, and the only way to do that would be to eliminate Lancer, by any means necessary.

Kiritsugu's plan was simple. Blow up the Hyatt Hotel, limit the escape route of Lancer's Master to one, then ambush and kill him. Thus, following his principle of limiting the number of casualties, the Magus Killer had set up minor explosive around the neighbourhood to cause fires that would serve as a distraction, but would spread slowly enough for most, if not all residents, to escape. It was still cruel, that much he knew, but at the moment, he was now a cold and heartless killing machine. Fulfilling his objective was all that mattered.

Unknown to Emiya Kiritsugu at that time, something was about to happen that would send his plans flying out of the window...

**xxxXXXxxx**

An unknown and dangerous factor. To most of the Masters and Servants in the Holy Grail War, that was how they viewed her.

To her closest friends, however, she was far from someone unknown.

Her closest friends... in other words, the Homurahara Academy Student Council.

Fujimura Taiga, the Vice President of the Student Council and the heiress to the Fujimura Group, Hibari's best friend, and also the one who knew her for the longest period of time, even before the skylark started going to school. Before they met, Taiga was an easy-going and happy-go-lucky girl who enjoyed causing trouble and fighting with other people, although her favourite hobbies happened to be eating and sleeping. After their first en counter, however, Taiga changed her outlook in life.

The first time they met, the two of them actually got into a fight. At the time, the heiress of the Fujimura Group, who was rather gifted in kendo, was confident in her skills, sure of herself, and thus without hesitation, she challenged Hibari to a fight.

The reason behind it was actually stupid. Taiga, who had been in a hurry to get home, bumped into the girl on the way, and ended up losing her popsicle. It was completely her fault, since she was the one who was not looking where she was going, but whenever the issue with the Tiger was food-related, she unconsciously threw all reason out of the window. And thus, in her frenzied state, she blamed the person who caused her to drop her ice cream and challenged her, even though she herself was the one to blame for her own loss and in fact, the person she was accusing was actually the victim, as the popsicle Taiga was carrying landed on her clothes, thereby dirtying them.

To Taiga's surprise, however, the girl she challenged was strong... even stronger than her. And thus, Fujimura Taiga lost, without even managing to get in a single hit, while she was beaten to the ground.

Still, despite her changes, Taiga was still as carefree as always, but she had become more serious, and her goal since then had been to defeat and surpass the skylark, not just in fighting, but also in academics, sports, and others, just about every way possible in which she would have legitimate superiority.

Then, there was Kunieda Nagi, a girl with indigo blue hair and purple-colored eyes, a shy and quiet individual whose skills were just perfect for the position of secretary. She was sharp and alert, and could take note of every single little detail of a conversation, no matter how fast it goes.

Just like Hibari, the girl also disliked crowds. However, she was also patient and tolerant. She rarely spoke to anyone, even them, and preferred to stay in the sidelines, but despite this fact, she was steadfast in her duties, and while she disliked violence, she would not hesitate to use underhanded tricks to help the council in their objectives. She rarely raised her voice, but when it comes to dishing out punishments, even though she would only go physical as a last resort, she would do so without hesitation if the situation calls for it.

Of course, it could be said that the punishments she thinks of are brutal, just like the skylark's, is even worse, and despite her quiet nature, the ideas Nagi came up with were actually really cruel, and the level of cruelty could be considered at the same level or even worse than the Demon President's. For in truth, Nagi is actually the notorious 'Piero,' as 'he' was now known, an infamous prankster who has victimized several rule breakers in Homurahara, even the teachers, but could never be caught in the act, and even up to present, the Student Council was doing its best to uncover 'his' identity. For no one has ever seen the prankster before, and the only indication of 'his' involvement is the presence of a joker card at the scene of the incident.

Unknown to everyone else, however, the members of the Student Council were fully aware that Nagi is actually Piero.

As for the position of treasurer, it was taken by Shintani Shizuru, a girl who is really good at calculus, and whose ability with numbers surpasses even their President's. And she was also a genius.

She is basically an extortionist, a scammer, one who is an expert at blackmail and subtle manipulations, and her shady activities almost boomeranged back at her. She had once tried to blackmail a guy who she thought was just some weak rich kid but actually turned out to be the son of a drug dealer, and it almost ended with her getting raped, before being murdered or sold into the black market as a sex slave.

Fortunately for her, just as she was being gagged and placed into a sack by the guy's minions, Hibari happened to be passing by and saved her by beating the crap of out her would-be-captors, as well as destroying a certain part of their body which ensured that they would never be able to have a c hild.

And ever since then she had decided to follow Hibari and started looking up to her. Shizuru had hardly changed her ways, but since then, she had been more careful, and her efforts were redirected towards a similar direction as the Student Council President, who she saw as a role model.

Last but not the least was Minami Saya, the Student Council's Public Relations Officer, a nerdy glasses wearing female who has even worse tolerance for crowds than Hibari and Nagi. Instead of simply staying quiet (or beating the crap of those who invade her personal space), she would normally run away whenever she was facing many people.

So why was someone like her the Public Relations Officer?

Well, that is because this was only half of her personality. Whenever she was _not _wearing her glasses, she would change completely and the shy and quiet individual would suddenly become loud and boisterous.

Unlike the President however, whose changes in attitude was simply because of her masks, Saya, in truth, was truly suffering from a Split Personality Disorder.

She would become really noisy and talkative whenever her glasses were off, but more importantly, aside from that, she had charisma, a convincing power which was on the same level as the President herself once her four eyes became two... not to mention the fact that she was the best singer in the group... as well as the daughter of the Chief of Police, Minami Toya. Which was why it was ironic that she, whichever one of her personalities was out, got along the best with Taiga, who happened to be the heiress to a syndicate group.

Yes, the Student Council of Homurahara was indeed made up of weird people. However, if there was one thing which held them together, despite their individual differences, it was their bond of friendship.

Trust and loyalty. These are values which no one is ever born with. They have to be earned and gained, for they are not freely given, which is not an easy task.

Yet trust and loyalty is something which Hibari earned from the members of the Student Council.

However, trust and loyalty was not all which the skylark gained from them, for all the members of the Student Council were not just her subordinates: they were also her family. And family would always look out for her each other.

This is the Homurara Academy Student Council. This is Hibari's family.

And they were people who the skylark could depend on.

It was about three months ago when it started, when the President had given them their orders, but more specifically, shared with them information that normal people, even those at the brink of insanity, would consider as farfetched. In fact, had it been anyone else listening to her, they would probably be thinking that Hibari Fuyu was starting to lose her mind.

The existence of magic. From that alone, if one were to try and say that it exists, it was easy for people to think that said person was going crazy. True, there were magicians and magic shows all over the world, but they were not really magic, but rather magic tricks with a rational and scientific explanation.

Real magic, however, does not exist, except perhaps in movies, cartoons, anime and other forms of fiction... or so people thought.

Since the members of the Student Council knew the skylark really well, even though they would have normally been sceptical, they knew that their beloved President was serious. Even without yet seeing proof first hand, the members of the Student Council already believed her, for the very reason that they believed in her. When Hibari told them about magecraft, based from the tone of her voice, they automatically believed her.

To see magic in action first-hand, however, was a different matter altogether.

Magic. It was something which the members of the Student Council had always thought as an impossible and fantastic solution to a problem. They had thought of it as something fun, equating the word magic to the word wonderful. They had thought of magic as something which involved chanting some funny incantation and some silly wand-waving...

Three months ago, however, they found out just how wrong their perception of magic happened to be.

For the truth was, magic was not something fun and exciting.

It was something harsh and cruel.

And yet, even if magic was something harsh and cruel, that did not mean it could not be used for something productive.

"All the preparations have been completed."

The not yet named metallic lookout. Nearing its completion, it's temporarily called the Fuyuki shopping center's thirty-eighth floor.

The construction is already more than half done, only the exterior left incomplete. This high-rise building will soon become a shopping center and the symbol of Fuyuki Shinto, but right now it is only an empty skeleton of reinforced concrete, buffeted by the strong gales of the night.

Whether it is the streetlights on the ground or the stars in the sky, everything seems distant and bleak. It is in this void that Hisau Maiya knelt, unmoving, supporting on her shoulder the AUG assault rifle that had night vision equipped. The muzzle was propped on her upright left knee, in the palm of her hand was something rectangular in shape: a bomb detonator. She was waiting for Kiritsugu to give her the go signal to begin the operation via radio.

Unknown to her, however, she was not alone in that half-completed building.

For behind her, was a girl with indigo hair and beautiful purple eyes, hidden from view by the partially constructed walls, her presence concealed by her particular type of magic.

She was wearing a matching indigo blouse and skirt, holding a trident in one hand, while typing swiftly and silently on her cell phone with her other hand, a text message which relayed the following to the recipient.

'Target spotted. Requesting permission to apprehend.'

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Now, I have to admit, it took me a while with this chapter. I was actually contemplating on several possibilities with how to go about with the harbour clash. Originally, I was planning to go a bit canon, but then, I decided to do something different with it at the last minute. Hope you like it.

The biggest challenge for me though, was trying to fuse in the personality of two individuals, which is not an easy task, and I hope I don't screw it up.

By the way, the title of this fanfic has been changed a few times already. So far the one it has on is the one I'm satisfied with the most, but if anyone has a suggestion for the title of this fic, you can pm me or post it in the reviews. Suggestions are highly appreciated.

As for the novel, I will probably be skipping some canon scenes, only mentioning them in brief, since most of you have probably already read it.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then people...


	4. Second Encounter

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, as well as the ideas I borrowed from other manga/stories/anime/etc, and I am borrowing them purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

**Second Encounter**

Waver Velvet could not help but admit it: he had never been so scared in his entire life. He was a magus, that much was true, but he was more of a scholar type than of an offensive type, and thus, despite being a magus, he had never been in a battle before.

Granted, he had seen movies that showed violence, as well as seen duels fought between magi, but even then, he had never experienced a war first hand. He had always been on the sidelines, uninvolved in any conflict, save perhaps for intellectual ones.

No matter how dire the situation was, he had always just been an spectator.

The events earlier that night had changed all that. He had joined the Holy Grail War, and this time, not only did he have a front row seat, he was also part of the conflict... and it had been too much for him. He thought he had already been prepared for it, yet as it turned out, he was not.

To be exposed to such amounts of pressure and killing intent, to see beings of enormous power far beyond his own clash in front of his eyes, to be there in person, knowing that these particular powerhouses may as well come for his head, was indeed a terrifying to Waver Velvet.

Having just witnessed a clash of epic proportions first-hand, Waver Velvet, who had been a nervous wreck, would have probably passed out, and would not have woken up for a long time.

That is, if it weren't for the fact that he was currently riding on the same vehicle with two enemies.

Waver could not help but feel angry at his Servant, Rider. True, in Waver's eyes, he had just proven himself that he was strong, and that he was not all talk, not to mention the fact that he was touched, at the fact the Mounted Servant had praised him, but still, to allow an enemy Servant and Master pair to ride with you, is just downright suicidal.

However, the reason why Waver was angry with Rider was not because they were enemies, nor was it because he had allowed them to hitch a ride. In fact, the two had not shown any hostility towards them, and if Waver's gut feeling was correct, Berserker and his Master, Hibari Fuyu, were trustworthy.

Having seen the battles, Waver knew full well that he and Rider were at a disadvantage. Alexander may be a Servant, but Waver was not, and to make matters worse, Berserker's Master could fight at the level of a Servant. Given these precarious circumstances, it would have been pretty easy for them to eliminate Waver and Rider with ease, yet they did not do such a thing. Thus, although still suspicious, Waver was starting to believe that the two sincerely wanted to be their allies.

However, even though this was the case, it was not enough to abate his anger.

Declaring your true name in front of your enemies is stupid. Showing your opponents your abilities is stupid. Allowing your opponent to ride with you is stupid. Showing your opponent your back is also stupid. However, none of these moves that was made by the King of Conquerors was as stupid and suicidal as...

Giving the reins of the Gordius Wheel to Berserker's Master.

"Hahaha! You've got some impressive driving skills, girl," the King of Conquerors commented in a booming voice. "Though I have to admit I'm surprised. Even if you held the reins, I never would have thought that you would actually get _them_ to obey you." By them, Rider was talking about the lightning bulls pulling the chariot.

"It might be because I have experience dealing with wild beasts, Rider-san," the girl replied with a shrug.

Waver, however, was hardly listening to their conversation, and was instead, staying silent, not because he wanted to, but because it was all he could do.

He was angry, furious in fact, at their current situation. Yet, he could not utter a single word of complaint, for his anger was dominated by his fear, a feeling of sheer terror that he had never felt before, incomparable to anything else which happened that night.

However, the fear which he felt, was not because the girl was powerful, nor was it because of the impressive fact that she was able to make the bulls obey her. No, the real reason why Waver was terrified was because...

"Hey, watch out for that building!"

"Ooops..."

She was a terrible and reckless chariot driver. Rider, by the looks of it, seemed to be enjoying himself as well, but his Master certainly was not.

To Waver's mild surprise, he felt a hand tap his shoulder, which belonged to none other than Berserker. Berserker, the Insane Servant, who at the moment, appeared to more sane than his own Master.

The Mad Warrior did not look that much different, and was still wearing his shrouded armour, but from the way he was slightly hunched up and the feeling he could sense coming from the Servant, it was obvious to Waver that Berserker was not having a good time either.

Still, while it may not have been enough to abate his fear, it was a slight comfort to Waver, knowing that he was not alone in misery.

And as the minutes passed, all Waver could do was close his eyes and pray, pray, that he could fall asleep. Pray, that by the end of it all, they were still in one piece. He did not know why, but for some reason, he could not help but feel that if things did not go well, two Servants would fall that night.

_I wonder when we will land so that we can start with the negotiations?_ thought Waver Velvet bitterly to himself.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Looking down from the 32nd floor, the top floor, of Fuyuki's Hyatt hotel. There is no building taller than this in all of Fuyuki.

This title of the highest building will soon become that of the soon-to-be-completed Shinto shopping center. But because the Shinto shopping center is still under construction, this Hyatt hotel is top for already completed buildings.

Accompanying the unstoppable growth of Shinto, there will be more and more new hotels. But the Hyatt hotel, which has the most advanced facilities and best service standards, will not give up this status to anyone else. It's not only the hotel's managers and staff who think so; even the hotel's customers are amazed by Hyatt's high quality service and management.

And yet, this particularly popular hotel was destined to become nothing but rubble that night, as part of the plan of Emiya Kiritsugu, the Magus Killer, to eliminate one of his opponents.

Two weeks before even the Heaven's Feel started, Maiya, Kiritsugu's partner, who had acquired information that one of the rooms in that hotel had been reserved by Lord El Melloi, had planted a bomb in the Hyatt Hotel. The bomb itself was not that powerful, but having been placed strategically at the structure's foundation in an area that no one would suspect, the small and weak explosion would ensure that the sturdy building would collapse upon itself once detonated. The best part, however, is that since bombs and explosives did not involve the use of prana, someone like Kayneth Archibald, who was a traditionalist magus, would not be able to detect it, not even with the strongest Bounded Fields.

Of course, it was not only in the Hyatt Hotel that they had planted a bomb, but also in the other three hotels, all of which were luxurious, that the magus of the Association had made reservations to.

Thus, this was indeed an effective plan.

Kiritsugu was still worried, but it was only by a small amount. Being an experienced soldier, he was one who made sure that his plans did not have any holes, or if they did have holes, he had something in place to compromise for its weakness.

Or at least, he thought all holes had been filled.

The Magus Killer should have known that something was up, when the fires he had been expecting did not come into existence. He had set up several minor explosives to cause fire and panic around the neighbourhood to serve as a distraction, yet there no signs of a fire starting. There was not even any smoke.

Despite being aware that something was wrong, he decided to push on with his plans regardless, knowing that his intended targets were inside the building.

The acts of arson which did not work, were originally intended so that the people in the area would evacuate, and thus, would minimize the number of casualties. True, it was destruction of property, but at least human lives would be saved.

Now, however, they had no other choice. If they took to long, add to that the fact that the arson part of their plan was compromised, the entire operation could fail if they lagged on any longer. It was painful choice on Kiritsugu's part, but there was no other way.

"Maiya, how are things on your end?"

Said assistant, however, did not respond.

"Maiya, do you copy? Maiya, I repeat, do you copy?"

All Kiritsugu got as a reply was static.

Regarding the bomb they had planted in the Hyatt Hotel, unlike the time bombs that were to be used for arson, this, due to the importance of timing, had to be detonated from the distance, and there were two detonators. One was the cellphone detonator held by Kiritsugu, while the other was a remote held by his partner Maiya, as a precaution in case one of them did not work.

Even though he was worried about Maiya, Kiritsugu, who was currently in his machine personality, decided that the mission comes first.

Kiritsugu sighed lightly, dialing a set of numbers on the cellphone in his hands... an analog signal to detonate the C4 bomb implanted in the building.

The horrifying sound of reinforced concrete splintering and collapsing resounded through the night, as the once famed Hyatt Hotel was reduced to nothing but rubble, burying around three hundred people along with it.

The Magus Killer, however, was no longer watching this, and instead, the deed done, his attention was now focused on what had become of his unresponsive partner, who he knew was somewhere on the upper floors of a nearby building that has no yet been completed.

Thus, ignoring the chaos and destruction he had caused, ignoring the cries and screams of innocent people, children crying for their parents, parents crying for their children, friends crying for their friends, believing that it will all be redeemed once he reached Grail and ask it to grant his wish to save everyone, he turned around and started walking into the unfinished Shinto Shopping Center.

?

At the moment he entered the building, the Magus Killer noticed a trace of abnormality.

Not a typical abnormality, but a hard-to-detect subtle change of atmosphere. To an experienced soldier, it is an easy matter to clearly detect this kind of killing intent.

Despite being away from the battlefield for almost a decade, Kiritsugu's senses was still sharp enough to notice it, even if nothing could be seen or heard.

Now on heightened alert, Kiritsugu, calmly pulled out his weapons from his cloak and armed himself, and now held a Calico M950 submachine gun in his right hand.

?!

Suddenly, without warning, something in his pocket suddenly started ringing.

Almost automatically, Emiya Kiritsugu's free hand reached for his pocket and pulled out his mobile phone.

"Hello? What happened?" The man inquired as he answered the call after seeing the caller id.

"So it was you..."

In truth, the Magus Killer was not unfamiliar to tense and perilous situations True, Servants were indeed powerful, but from his point of view, Heroic Spirits were just instruments of war, no different from tanks and planes. And it was for this very reason that he was not fazed that much by the Heaven's Feel Holy Grail War. The Magus Killer remained calm and collected.

Even if the unknown he was facing turned out to be a Servant, he always had the option of using a Command Seal, which he had already prepared just in case. He did not want to use it, since he would be leaving his wi- no, the vessel of the Holy Grail unprotected, but even then, he was sure that the Masters who knew the role Irisviel would play would not allow any harm to come to her.

For his partner to be compromised so early in the War, was something he was not prepared for.

When he answered the call, he had already half expected that someone else would answer, thus he had carefully made sure not to give any information when he spoke, while at the same time, tracing the call to pinpoint the location from where it came from. At the same time, however, he realized that doing so was pointless.

While it was true that the voice which replied came out of the mobile phone, that same voice, as he realized, came from another source, which could only mean one thing...

The owner of the voice was inside the building.

It was not a wise decision, he knew, entering the building when he was half-certain of what had transpired, but due to nine years of being away from the battlefield, the well-oiled machine known as Emiya Kiritsugu had become rusty, and thus made that mistake.

No, it was not really because he had become rusty, but because he was presently still more human than machine. While he refused to admit to himself in his current machine-like mind state, he actually entered the building, not because he wanted to save Maiya, his 'tool,' but because he wanted to save Maiya, his 'partner.' True, unlike with his wife Irisviel, Kiritsugu has a relationship with Maiya purely on a sexual context, yet even though the former was the woman in his heart, he still saw the latter as someone important, someone like family.

At that moment, something was tossed at Kiritsugu's feet from the shadow of some pillar.

He immediately aimed his Calico at the object and after making sure it was not dangerous, he pointed it back towards the place where the object was tossed from. But even so, he could not help but feel disturbed after he realized what the object was, confirming his suspicions.

It was a mobile phone... which belonged to Maiya Hisau.

"Emiya Kiritsugu..." The voice spoke, now coming from the person herself, who has emerged from shadows and was now standing in front of him.

It was a girl, around fifteen years of age by the looks of her, with short brown hair, wearing a striped shirt and a green skirt, her brown eyes ablaze, and was currently emitting an aura of pressure that had been subtly suppressed until that moment.

Despite his many experiences in the battlefield, never before had he felt such intense killing intent directed towards him.

However, that was only half of the problem. Even if an enemy was a force to reckon with, so long as he had information on them, their threat level, in the Magus Killer's eyes, would become greatly lowered.

Unfortunately, he did not have any information on the person he was facing. And thus, as of present, he was in grave trouble.

Realizing this, the Magus Killer decided to take the initiative, and immediately fired a volley of bullets at his adversary with his machine gun.

?!

Yet not a single one of those shots managed to hit the target, who deflected every single one of them... with a sword, a Japanese samurai by the looks of it.

There was no doubt about it. The girl in front of him was dangerous.

"You have ruined the lives of innocent people for the attainment of your selfish objectives...For that, YOU ARE GOING TO PAY! YOU MURDERER!"

The girl screamed the last phrase of her sentence, and before Kiritsugu knew what was happening, the brown-haired female was already upon him, closing a distance of about five meters in an instant, a speed which was impossible for any normal human, a speed which even an experienced soldier like him could not match... at least, if he were simply an experienced soldier.

_Time Alter: Double Accel!_

?!

Instinctively, he used his own version of the Emiya Magecraft, a spell which manipulates time within his body, thus allowing him to move at greater speeds. Using it, he managed to jump backward just in time, narrowly avoiding getting his head chopped off by the girl's blade.

Realizing he was at a grave disadvantage, he decided that it would be best to retreat for the time being. Taking advantage of his adversary's brief moment of surprise, the Magus Killer immediately fumbled in his pockets, pulling out and uncorking a smoke grenade before tossing it to the ground.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!"

Only for his means of escape to be compromised, as his smoke bomb was literally sent flying out of the window by the girl using the sheath of her sword, like a baseball player hitting the ball with a baseball bat.

The Magus Killer could not help but curse mentally, as he started firing bullets at the girl once again. He could not hit her, that much he now knew, but at least, the bullets were slowing down her advance, buying the Magus Killer just enough time to use his last resort.

_Come, Saber!_ The Magus Killer shouted mentally, as one of the three red sigils on the back of his hand glowed brightly.

**xxxXXXxxx**

In a certain location in Fuyuki City, in one of the less damaged abandoned buildings which no one knew about, a man wearing simple garments with a golden cross tied around his neck, was currently busy at work, humming a prayer song to himself, as he...

"Sakitani Dojima... six counts of arson..."

"AAAARGH!"

Set the hands of his victim, who was tied securely to a hospital bed, on fire.

"...eight counts of rape..."

"Please... have merc-AAAARGH!"

Before cutting off that organ which could be found in the place where the sun don't shine.

Most people would have been terrified, or, in the case of the braver ones, disturbed, if they hear blood curdling screams. To this man, however, it was music to his ears.

He still believed that there was a God. That there was a supreme existence, although he didn't have the maturity to perceive it.

He lived believing that one day, the holiest word of God would lead him to the supreme truth and save him. Betting on that hope, clinging to it.

But in the depth of his heart, he already knew. That salvation would no longer come from the love of God for a man like him.

Being confronted to such anger and despair drove him to masochism. Under the pretense of penance for moral training, he simply kept wounding himself repeatedly. But those tortures forged in his body like iron, and when he realized, he had risen to the top of the elite of the Holy Church as an 'Executor', where nobody had followed him.

Everyone called that 'glory.' his self-control and devotion were praised as a model for the clergy. His father was no exception.

He understood very well why his father had so much faith and admiration for him, but that was a misunderstanding so far off the point; for in reality, his heart was shameful. A whole lifetime's worth would probably not be enough to amend that misunderstanding.

It is a simple story. There is nothing that brings him happiness. It does not matter, let it be believing in people or having people believe in him. What other people called happiness did not bring him any joy.

He is someone similar to a void. He did not have any wish nor any desire, and did not know what he should do, and thus he simply followed suit with the ethics and protocols that was thrust into him. No, the truth is that he subconsciously knew what he wanted to do, but his true nature was contradicted by the ideals that had been instilled into him.

He was a flawed person who had a good background, yet from his own point of view, it was a tragic past. For he was someone who, by nature, took pleasure in the suffering of others, yet who was unfortunately born to a righteous person, a man who had instilled in him the ideals of justice and set him on the path of righteousness, which contradicted his truth self. He was someone who was born flawed from the very beginning.

No one who has come to understand how much he lacked, not his 'friends' and acquaintances, not his father, not even the woman he was to love. No one knew what he truly was, someone who was not supposed to exist, and thus, he was conflicted. He did not really have any direction in life.

But all that changed when he met them... when he met _her_.

"_Good and evil, Priest-san.. it is all a matter of perspective. You might think that someone who slays a monster or saves a damsel in distress in fairy tales as a hero, but did you ever come to think what their true objective might be? A man who is evil at heart, yet performs heroic deeds, is still a hero, regardless of his purpose."_

Even now, he remembers it, the words which that particular girl, who was only half her age, who had somehow managed to get him to talk and open up, and who had told him words, words which penetrated deep into his heart and soul.

"_You are beyond salvation? Pfft. Don't make me laugh, omnivore. If your actions are heroic, even if your purpose is evil and selfish, that does not make you any less of a hero, does it? Your actions take more credit, far more than any thought or feelings you might have. Not even God could deny that."_

Yes, it was true. He believed himself beyond salvation, he believed himself vile, evil, flawed, and it is for this reason that he had tried to redeem himself, tried to seek salvation, for sins he desired to do, yet in fact he had never committed.

When his wife died, he thought that it was another proof, proof that he was incapable of loving someone. For at the time, tears flowed from his eyes, not because he loved his wife, but because he wished he could have been the one to kill her himself. And yet...

"_No, Priest-san, you are wrong. You loved her, you loved your wife, and even now, you still love her. You may not realize it, but I can see it in your eyes. No being in this world is incapable of love, Priest-san, Even if they do exist, you are not one of them. I can tell. You wanted to kill her because you did not want to lose her to anyone, not even death. Killing her with your own hands would have let you believe that she had not been taken from you, that you had let go of her yourself."_

He realized he was wrong. He did know how to love. He did know how to care for someone. It just so happened that he was as loving just as much as he was possessive.

"_Priest-san, you are a man who revels in the suffering of others, yet the suffering you enjoy witnessing the most is the suffering of your own kind, of those who have evil hearts like yours... and you find it most enjoyable if it is suffering which you yourself inflicted. But there is nothing wrong with that, Priest-san. After all... good and evil, they are just a matter of perspective. People believe what they want to believe. What is important is that you do what you want and live the way you want."_

The path of a punisher... the path of an avenger... or simply put, the path in which he derives pleasure and enjoyment, by killing black-hearted creatures like himself.

On the bed beside him, his victim was nearing his inevitable death, after being subjected to several tortures related to the sins he had committed. Next to him, set in a row, were five other beds, where other sinners were also strapped securely. Sinners who thought their money, influence, or their ability to hide evidence had saved them, sinners who thought they were too smart to be caught.

Yet now, they were trapped, and were waiting in line for their judgement. They were still unconscious at the moment, but once he lifts the spell on them, they would wake up, wake up, to their final moments.

In truth, what he was doing right now was not really that different to what he had been doing as an Executor of the Church. He had always been a punisher. He had always been an avenger, he had always upheld justice as he had seen fit. Their main targets may have been the undead, heretic magi, and Dead Apostles, but with the sense of justice that had been stilled into him, he had also gone after unscrupulous individuals who were technically ordinary humans.

The only difference this time, is that unlike before, when he saw what he was doing as a punishment to himself... he now saw it as a pleasurable activity. To feel happiness. To derive enjoyment from his work. To feel joy... it was an emotion which he had never felt before.

Yet now, he had it. The feeling of happiness. The feeling of enjoyment. The mundane things in which he thought he could never find pleasure in, the things which he did to cause himself torment, now that he knew what he was missing, with a simple change in perspective, he was finally able to derive joy from them.

He had now found what it was he was lacking.

He was no longer lost.

He had finally found himself.

"May God have mercy on your soul." He muttered solemnly, at least in tone. In truth, he did not really mean the prayer that he muttered, and he had only done it out of habit.

Having finished reciting the incantation, he materialized one of his Black Keys, then stabbed it into the man's heart, which instantly burst into flames. The Cremation Sacrament, after all, while normally used against the undead, can also be used against human beings. Thus, the man who had caused the misery of so many innocents, died screaming in pain and agony.

After a few minutes, the fire finally burned out, consuming the entire body and turning it into ashes, but leaving the wooden frame it was on relatively unharmed. The priest, after all, had considerable control over his spells, and thus it burns only what he wanted to burn.

His eyes full of malice, the priest turned towards the other unconscious sinners strapped helpless into their beds...

?!

Suddenly, his attention was diverted, as he felt something vibrating in his clothes.

"Who could it be at this hour?" The man groaned in complaint, feeling irritated at being interrupted, as he took out the cellular phone in his pocket which was the source of the vibration, and opened the text message he had received.

"So that man is the true Einzbern Master... just as I suspected," he muttered disdainfully to himself as he finished reading it, replying with a message ordering the sender, who happened to be his Servant (Eight out of the priest's eighty scouts were given and taught how to use a mobile phone for communication convenience purposes), to tell the others to continue with their surveillance duties, particularly on a Master who is also known as the 'Demon of Fuyuki City,' who was happily hunting children together with his Servant, and who the Executor intends to add to his list of victims, before turning his attention back to his current one.

Of course, he did not really care about the lives of the innocent, since despite discovering himself, there were very few people in the list of those he truly cares for, but it does not change the fact that it was fun bringing about the demise of wicked wretches.

As for the news from the text message he received from his Servant, he regarded it with little interest.

He had once thought, about going after a particular man, an infamous mercenary who had been silent for nine years, but had now come out of retirement, to participate in the Heaven's Feel. He wanted to meet him, he wanted to confront him, for he believed that he was the one who had the answers he needed.

But now, it was no longer necessary. For the girl he met... the girl had shown him, the girl had given him the answers which he had been seeking so desperately.

Thus, the Executor no longer felt the need to confront him directly.

Truthfully, due to the man's current actions of slaughtering countless innocents, he would have been interested in facing him for a different reason. Unfortunately, since she and her group had already set their eyes on him, he decided to concede, although he could not help but sense a feeling of loss at losing his potential prey. Thus, he decided to settle to content himself with targeting the 'Demon of Fuyuki City' instead. The man was nowhere as good a target as the slayer of mages or the old worm vampire the priest discreetly disposed of three months before, but he supposed that the target will do for now until a better one presented itself.

He did not know exactly how that fight would turn out, since he was busy and had no intention watching it through his Servants' eyes, but knowing that _that person_ is one of _her _companions, as well as the fact that he had seen for himself that person's beast-like skill with the blade, he knew that even someone like the King of Knights, and her Master, even without the Servant of the Sword's injury, would have a hard time dealing with her.

Of course, if things started becoming unfavourable for _her_, the priest's Servants, who are on standby and observing the fight, would step in. He may not be planning to eliminate the slayer of mages and his Heroic Spirit, but even so, he would not allow that person, who is also known as the Tiger of Fuyuki, to die. She was, after all, a member of _her _group. And every single member of that group of teenagers had become his friends, had become important enough to him that 'he would never allow any of them to die except by his own hands.'

Now that the interruption was over, the Executor turned his attention back to his work. Even up to this point, even though he did not have any interest in the Grail, he had not withdrawn from the Holy Grail War. However, it was not because of the original role he was supposed to play.

Unknown to his father, he had actually not been truthful to them, and the scouting information he had been relaying to his mentor was fabricated and lacked plenty of details. He had already shifted his priorities and objectives, and he was no longer set about on going with the original plan. True, he would not let the man who was his teacher and mentor die out of a tiny shimmer of respect and gratitude, but he had no intention of letting said person, who had abandoned one of his daughters, his own family, due to petty magus beliefs, get his hands on the Grail either.

For the loyalty of the man, whose name is Kotomine Kirei, already lie with someone else.

Unknown to the Executor, however, as he continued his leisure activity, a certain Golden-haired Heroic Spirit was eyeing him with interest.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Now, I must admit that I'm having fun with this particular fic. It actually has a minor bit of semi-insert, and I think I'm finally getting the hang of this method which I originally thought I could not do.

Now, as I think you can tell, this particular fic, despite the semi-inserts, is gonna be diverting from canon soon, although there will be some major scenes which I will use, probably the highlight battles, only that it will happen differently. Confrontations will soon arise, and the identity of protagonists and antagonists in my fic, as you may notice, vary. No offense to those who hate Kotomine Kirei, but I plan to make him a sort-of-protagonist here. Yeah, I hate Kotomine too, but I also find him really cool.

Don't forget though that Archer/Gilgamesh was the reason why he became twisted in the first place. In my story though, someone else got to Kirei before he came into the picture, so Goldy's influence will be very minimal.

As for the next chapter, it's gonna be featuring more battles, and this time it's Saber against (I'm sure you can guess who she is, so there's no need for me to mention her name.).

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	5. Third Encounter

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, as well as the ideas I borrowed from other manga/stories/anime/etc, and I am borrowing them purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

**Third Encounter**

Saber, the Heroic Spirit of the Sword, whose true identity is Arturia Pendragon, the Once and Future King of England, was presently having a difficult time.

That night, she had already experienced a number of dangerous encounters, each one just as perilous as the one before it.

First was her duel with Lancer. Arturia, in all honesty, had to admit that she was pleased. True, she had a great burden to bear, a burden which is the reason which is seeking the Holy Grail desperately, but even so, that did not stop her from enjoying her battle with the Servant of the Spear. True, that particular fight may have ended with her receiving an incapacitating injury, but even then, the King of Knights was certain that she would still be able to attain victory over Lancer, the dual-spear wielding warrior whose true identity is Diarmuid of the Lovespot.

The next battles she fought, however, were much less enjoyable.

Berserker and his Master are, in Saber's opinion, the most dangerous Master and Servant pair in the War. She had fought Lancer, an extremely skilled spear user who managed to injure her and gain the upperhand over her, successfully injuring her thumb with an incurable wound, thereby affecting her sword manoeuvrability. She had seen in part the power of Rider, who owns an extremely flying chariot, and Archer, the Golden Servant who throws arrow Noble Phantasms like arrows, yet even then, her instinct, which had kept her alive all those years, was telling her that the Mad Warrior and his Master, Hibari Fuyu, were the greatest threats of all.

And now that they had apparently formed an alliance with Rider and his Master, the future did not seem that bright to the King of Knights.

Arturia knew of her predicament. For some reason or another, the fact that she was a female caused her Master to resent her and remain distant, and thus, the possibility of them working together well was next to none. Having Irisviel as mediator between them would no longer be enough.

Given the circumstances, she knew that it was critical for them to at least be able to gain a mutual understanding of each other, at least enough so they would listen to each other's opinions and make plans together. Otherwise, their chances of winning the Holy Grail War would become even slimmer than it already is.

Yes, Saber was worried about so many things. About her Master, about Irisvial... the apparent alliance between two Masters and Servants. And she was disturbed with regards to the strange Servant Caster who introduced himself as Gilles de Rias, who was a psychopathic mass murderer during his time that had mistaken Saber for Jeanne d' Arc.

At the moment however, the King of Knights did not have the time to worry about such things. For the most pressing concern for her as of present... was to stay alive.

"Get out of my way!"

Due to the fact that she had been busy dealing with Berserker, she had only gotten a glimpse of it, yet those brief glances had been enough for her to know that the silver-haired female who so resembled Irisviel, was at a very high level of skill and was even able to match Lancer in combat, meaning she could very well match Saber as well.

A mere human matching a Heroic Spirit in battle was something unthinkable, yet that girl proved that it was not impossible. For a person of such calibre to exist in the modern era was something hard to comprehend.

For another person of a similar level of ability to show up in one night, not to mention the fact that said person was not even a Master, was even harder to believe.

When Kiritsugu summoned her, the King of Knights already knew what was happening. She had already sensed it, through their connection, that her real Master was in danger, and thus she had already requested leave from Irisviel and was already heading out of Einzbern Castle when the Command Seal called upon her, teleporting her immediately to the Magus Killer's location. However, she thought that it was a Servant who had caused the alarm.

She was mistaken. For the cause of it all... was just a girl. Not a Heroic Spirit, but a human girl, who was incredibly skilled with the sword.

Saber had to admit that she was shocked, as well as impressed, at the discovery. However, she had no time to ponder on it, as she is concentrating her thoughts and actions on fending off said individual.

In less than a minute, the two of them clashed blades over fifty times already, yet neither of them had been able to move. The girl Arturia was facing wanted to advance, to get at her Master, yet the King of Knights was not giving her an inch.

On the other hand, however, Arturia was not simply defending, and was actually trying to push the girl back... yet she was unable to do so. And as the two of them continued crossing swords, the King of Knights noted one thing: the two of them were equal, both in offense and defense.

_If only I can move my hand properly,_ cursed the Servant of the Sword mentally.

They were evenly matched, that was true. However, if she was in her full strength, if she could manoeuvre her sword properly, then Arturia would not be locked in a stalemate with her opponent.

Sadly, until she defeats Lancer, her injury will remain.

The King of Knights was no fool. Judging from the way the girl fought, she noticed that the brown-haired female knew the length of her Invisible Sword, which meant that she was probably watching the battle at the harbour. And aside from that, the armband she was wearing... was identical to the one that is worn by Berserker's Master, which read _Homurahara Academy Student Council,_ the only difference being their colour.

Yes, the girl had an advantage when it comes to information However, even if that was the case, Arturia, despite her injured arm, was certain that she will still win.

Stamina and endurance, are among the vital traits that one must have in battle. There are cases in which two opposing individuals are evenly matched, and in some cases, one is slightly more skilful than the other. However, if the battle lasts a long time, even the slight skill advantage becomes useless, if the one who has it becomes exhausted.

"Ha... ha..."

And as the King of Knights realized, her opponent has a weaker stamina than her, proven by the fact that she was already panting heavily.

Therefore, all Arturia had to do is drag the fight on as long as necessary, until her opponent becomes too exhausted and loses her focus, an opportunity which the King of Knights would utilize.

?!

Noticing the slight shift in the pressure, the King of Knights released a burst of energy from her Invisible Sword.

Having been caught off guard, the brown-haired female was knocked backwards and slammed to a nearby wall, falling down into a slump, unconscious, blood flowing down from her head.

"Good job, Saber. Now, finish her off."

Saber, in all honesty, was not a person who enjoyed striking down an unarmed opponent. However, even though she followed the ways of a knight, she herself, as a King, and not as a knight, had done several deeds against the code of chivalry to protect her country.

Saber did not want to kill her, yet her instincts were telling the King of Knights, that if the girl was not eliminated now, she would cause a lot of problems for them in the future. The person in front of her may not be a Master, but there was no doubt that she was involved in the Grail War, not to mention, that she just tried to kill Saber's Master.

And aside from that, for the first time since she had been summoned, her Master spoke to her directly, and praised her. She truly did not want to spill the female's blood, yet if there was any chance for her to form an acceptable partnership relationship with her Master, she knew it was the only way.

Thus, she threw away all hesitation, knowing that her Master would probably kill the girl himself if she didn't.

The King of Knights lifted her blade high into the air, pausing for a moment, before bringing it down. At the very least, she would give the girl a quick and painless death.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Saber." Stated a monotonous voice.

?!

Feeling dread sweep over her, the Servant of the Sword turned around in the direction of the voice, the sharp edge of her invisible blade stopping about an inch away from the unconscious girl's chest.

The King of Knights exclaimed in horror at what she had seen. There was no doubt about it. Wearing a black cloak and a white skull mask was...

"Assassin!"

It was the Servant of Stealth indeed... And he had a dagger placed on the Magus Killer's neck, who currently had his eyes closed, unconscious.

_Shit._

"Let the girl go, and in exchange, I will spare your life and your Master's ."

At that moment in time, the King of Knights knew that she was in deep trouble, and could not help but curse herself. Due to the Assassin Class' A+ Rank Presence Concealment, Saber, who had been careless and distracted, her full attention focused on the brown-haired female, had not even noticed the presence of another Servant, and thus, Assassin managed to sneak up on her Master.

"Can I trust you to keep your word?"

"You can't. But you don't really have much of a choice. Now, step away from her, nice and slow."

Gritting her teeth in frustration, the King of Knights lifted her blade away from the girl and started walking away from the girl, without taking her eyes off Assassin.

She had been thinking of a way to get out of their troublesome predicament, yet could not find any possible method. If she killed the swordswoman, Assassin would kill her Master and would follow soon after. If she tried to attack Assassin, no matter how fast she is, the Servant of Stealth would undoubtedly kill her Master first.

?!

To Saber's added discomfort, she realized that by walking, her position shifted to the least favourable one. In her panicked state, she had not realized that as she was walking, Assassin was moving as well, manipulating the situation.

And now, their positions were reversed. Assassin was now standing a few meters from Saber, between the King of Knights and the unconscious girl... and the man with a white skull still had Saber's Master as his hostage, as his human shield. A worst case scenario.

"I have kept my word. I hope you will uphold your end of the bargain."

Saber knew she was at the mercy of Assassin. Knowing of that particular Servant Class' reputation, it was unlikely that they would keep their word.

To her surprise, however, the Servant of Stealth nodded to her statement in response...

?!

Before throwing the slayer of mages straight at the King of Knights.

"Master!" The Servant of the Sword exclaimed, as she caught the man in his arms. Checking her Master for injuries, Saber realized that the man was still alive and in good condition save for a bump on the head. He was only unconscious. By the looks of the hit he received in the head, however, even though it was not serious, he would probably wake up after a couple of hours.

Turning back her attention to the spot where Assassin once stood, the King of Knights was not surprised to see that the Servant of Stealth was gone, nor was she surprised that the teenage girl she fought was no longer there either.

"Assassin," muttered Saber to herself, her mind whirling with thoughts about the encounters she had that night as magically removed her armour and switched to the clothes Irisviel gave her before putting her Master on her back, and started running with great speed, heading for Einzbern Castle.

Yes, the first night of Heaven's had certainly been interesting and nerve-racking, to say the least, for the King of Knights and so far, her most recent encounter had been too close for comfort. If it wasn't for the fact that Assassin had a sense of honour, given the situation, her Master would have probably been killed.

Still, as she continued running on the road with her Master safely in tow, all that mattered to Saber was that her Master alive, and that she was still alive. Despite her disadvantageous injury, despite the presence of strong and formidable adversaries, it did not matter much to her.

As long as they were alive, there was still a chance for her and her Master to gain the Holy Grail. As long as they were alive... no matter how dire the situation becomes... there was still a chance for victory.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Our Master is currently healing her wounds as we speak, so he cannot come to the phone."

"I see. Thank you for the information."

With the press of a button on her cellphone, she removed the connection and ended the conversation. Then, with trembling hands, she carefully placed the communications device back into her pocket.

The reason she was trembling, however, was not out of fear... but out of rage.

"That idiot!"

Putting the mobile phone back into her pocket was the only way she had to prevent herself from throwing said phone and smashing it against the nearby wall.

To say that Hibari Fuyu, the President of Homurahara Academy, was angry would be an understatement. For the truth was, she was furious, and her fury was so great, that it was taking the silver-haired female an enormous amount of effort just to keep herself in check.

When she had made her decision to participate the Holy Grail War which she had somehow entered by unintentionally , the young girl, on whom the Command Seals signifying her position as a Master appeared, decided to take precautions, and thus, had come up with several plans and strategies, and made a number of moves in preparation for it. She, in all honesty, did not want to participate, but having heard about the destruction which the War caused, she thought it was better that she was part of it so that she could minimize the damage. She may not admit it, but in truth, Hibari loved Fuyuki City as a whole, for it was the place she grew up in... it was her home.

The first part of her plan, of course, was gathering information through her connections, one of which was a former member of the Church. Thanks to her somehow friendly relationship with Kotomine Kirei, who she first met six months before under not exactly pleasant circumstances, it was not difficult for her to get basic knowledge about magecraft and the world of secrecy that was hidden from the normal folk.

The fake priest, as it turned out, was an Exceutor, a member of the Church who specializes in hunting down those which the religious institution consider as evil, which include heretic mages, as well as the undead, vampires and Dead Apostles. Ironically, said priest, three years before, left said organization and instead started studying as a magus, almost a complete contradiction of his previous profession, under Tohsaksa Tokiomi.

Regardless of the man's background, Hibari found that having a 'friendly' relationship with the Priest had its benefits, and surprisingly enough, the man had no qualms about her borrowing books and other written materials about the Church and about magecraft. Hibari knew what kind of person the man was, and despite being a priest, he was someone who would without a doubt collect payment for a debt.

Yet Kotomine Kirei had instead told her that 'he' was the one who owed 'her,' not the other way around, and that he still had not yet been able to pay her back completely. Naturally, Hibari, who will not miss out on such an opportunity, decided to take advantage of this, and thus she was able to acquire a vast amount of knowledge that she needed to learn about the world of magi.

Having gathered sufficient information, the skylark decided to prioritize the safety of her friends and loved ones. Hibari, who read the history of the Heaven's Feel Holy Grail Wars, as well as having acquired information on potential Masters, was aware of how ruthless, dirty and bloody the situation could become, and thus, not wanting the people she cared for to get involved, she requested help from Raiga, the Head of the Fujimura family, to find a way to compel her parents, her friends at Homurahara Academy, and her colleagues at the Versailles Cafe, to leave Fuyuki City of their own free will without arousing much suspicion, and she could not help but feel grateful when he responded positively to her request.

Being the head of a syndicate group and having had a lot of experience in politics and strategies, it was no surprise that the old yakuza head found a solution to their problem, and had made the necessary arrangements.

As for the convincing part, with some convincing speech and hypnotic suggestion used, things had gone as well as they could. Basically, Hibari herself could cast such spells as well, but despite being a violent person, she couldn't find it in her heart to do so, which was why she had to ask someone else to do it... none other than Kotomine Kirei, who, to her annoyance, found her sorry state quite amusing to watch.

Unfortunately, there were five people in particular who were not affected and stubbornly refused to leave. And now one of them almost got herself killed. The skylark did not blame them, and in fact, she knew that they would be useful. But still... she honestly did not want them to get too involved, but now it was too late for that. Part of her, while she never showed it, was actually jumping with joy at the knowledge that she had friends who would stay by her side no matter what, but as a price, her heart, though she was able to handle it, was always filled with dread and worry at the same time.

Hibari Fuyu, originally planned to fight the War alone, with only Berserker by her side. Having Kirei Kotomine participating in the Heaven's Feel as well was just an added bonus.

Yet now, the skylark could not help but feel grateful for the man's presence. If it wasn't for him and Assassin, Fujimura Taiga would probably no longer be in the world of the living.

Still, even though she survived, even though she was alive and well, her injuries fully healed by the Fake Priest, it was not enough to prevent the silver-haired female from burning with fury... though the fire of her rage was not enough to douse the tears that were forming in her eyes either.

"Thank God, she's alright," whispered Hibari to herself, as tears flowed in streams down her face. In truth, when she had heard about what happened, she wanted to rush immediately to where her best friend was undergoing treatment, but she decided to put it off for later. Hibari had her pride, after all, and there was no way she would let anyone see her true face, when her mask of cold indifference was broken, not even her friends, not if she can help it.

Having her friends see her break down and look like a weak and pathetic herbivore once that was not an act was more than enough. She will visit Taiga once she is in sufficient control of her emotions that there would be zero possibility of her crying in front of them.

Wiping away the tears with the sleeve of her suit, the silver-haired female, who had finally managed to calm down enough, once again resumed her pokerface and decided to focus her attention and analyze the crucial aspects of the Fourth Holy Grail War from the factual, not the emotional, point of view.

_Let's see,_ the President of the Student Council muttered in her thoughts, as she closed her eyes, and placed one of her hands over her chin, as she thought about the events which happened that night.

First, was the confrontation at the harbour, something which did not go as well as she hoped. According to the information she got from Kotomine Kirei, the true identity of Tokiomi's Servant is Gilgamesh, the demi-god king of ancient Uruk, and when it comes to raw power, he was probably the most dangerous Servant of all. The Servant's Noble Phantasm, Gate of Babylon, was filled with countless treasures, meaning it was full of countless Noble Phantasms which the Golden Archer was throwing around as projectiles. The worst part, however, was the fact that among the countless treasures he had was an EX Rank Noble Phantasm that could literally wipe out a large area if he were to use it at full power.

Which was why it was rather unfortunate that they had missed the opportunity to eliminate this particular threat. The priest, who was trusted by Tokiomi, actually planted 'bugs,' upon Hibari's request, in the Tohsaka mansion, bugs which, due to being technological and not magical in nature, was not detected by the proud Master of Archer. Due to this, the skylark was aware of the man's movements, and when he used a Command Spell on Archer to force the latter to retreat, Hibari, who heard the conversation, decided to use the opportunity to eliminate Gilgamesh, ordering Berserker to attack the Golden Servant while he was at his weakest, though unfortunately, it did not work, and Archer managed to escape.

Thankfully though, the Golden Servant had one glaring weakness: pride. Even if he were the mighty King of Uruk, as far as Hibari could tell, Archer was not the type of person to take things seriously, which means that he could still be defeated, not to mention, that he did not seem to have a stable relationship with his Master.

And the same could go for his Master, Tokiomi Tohsaka. Kirei, for understandable reasons, was not willing to kill the man despite the fact that he was working against him, partly out of respect and wanting to keep his true nature from his father Risei, and partly due to the possibility that the magus may have some tricks up his sleeve that were meant to activate in case he died. Either way, once he was at his most vulnerable, Hibari was planning to incapacitate him and force him to surrender his Command Seals.

Then there was Saber and Lancer.

Using their momentum and the advantage of the element of surprise, Hibari and her Servant tried to eliminate Lancer as well, though to her irritation, the Servant of the Sword, Saber, just had to interfere, which forced the skylark to join the fray and reveal herself.

In truth, despite her thirst for battle, Hibari had no intention of revealing herself yet at the time, but then, circumstances left her with no other choice.

It would have actually been easier if they managed to eliminate at least one Servant that night, but still, the results of the confrontation at the harbour was not that bad.

As a consolation to losing the advantage of being unknown, Hibari successfully managed to forge an alliance with Rider, whose true identity is Alexander the Great, the King of Conquerors, and his Master Waver Velvet.

To keep at least two Servant alive indefinitely. This is one of the two main objectives which Hibari Fuyu hoped to achieve for the Heaven's Feel. Due to certain reasons which even she herself could not understand, the skylark felt that one of the best ways to end the Holy Grail War, was not to end it... but rather, it was to abandon it... And if two Servants were to remain standing, then the ritual would be a failure.

And as for her other main objective... it was to destroy the Holy Grail itself.

For now though, the Demon President of Homurahara decided to focus on the more immediate threats.

Knowing that the person she wanted to contact was unlikely to answer a call due to their current situation, the silver-haired skylark decided to send him a text message instead.

_Kirei, eliminate Caster and his Master tonight. If you don't I'll do it myself._

Eliminating Caster and his Master, was something which Hibari knew had to be done as soon as possible. In truth, even someone with connections and a tactical mind like Hibari had been finding it difficult to track down and discover the identity of the murderer who had plaguing Fuyuki City.

For some reason or another, whoever it was was really good at covering his tracks that even Shizuru, who was even better than the skylark at finding people, had not yet found who it was. True, the skylark was confident that it was only a matter of time before the killer was found, but even then, until said killer was found, the murders would continue.

Thanks to Caster being summoned, however, as well as the fact that she had Kirei's Assassins doing reconnaissance for her, they finally managed to catch up with him.

Currently, he and his Servant were kidnapping children, outside the protection of their magic protected base... an opportunity which the skylark will definitely not waste. Thus, since Kirei, who was a murderous psychopath who only targets his fellow murderous psychopaths, had undoubtedly pegged the Demon of Fuyuki City as his target, Hibari decided to let the priest handle him, something which she was certain would be accomplished in a few hours. After all, she knew the priest well enough to know that he would not want to have his prey taken away from him.

And as for the other pressing matter...

"Berserker," the silver-haired female whispered softly, and immediately the black knight, whose loyalty Hibari had won that the Command Seals were technically no longer necessary, appeared beside her.

"What is it, Master?"

"We're going to pay your friend and her Master a visit..."

**xxxXXXxxx**

Inside of a house in the farm areas of Fuyuki, the Mackenzie residence, a tall muscular man was currently staring out of the window early in the morning, the sky still dark seeing as it was only fifteen minutes past 1am, with an unreadable expression look on his face. He was still wearing his usual jovial and friendly demeanour, but if one were to look closer, they would notice that something was bothering him.

He is Alexander the Great, the King of Conquerors, who had been summoned under the class Rider to participate in the Fifth Heaven's Feel Holy Grail War... a War which, from his point view, just keeps getting more and more interesting.

A couple of hours before, he had a discussion with Berserker's Master, a young girl with winter hair who is a rather unique individual. To summarize it, as far as Rider could tell, Hibari Fuyu was an exceptionally strong person. Regardless of her age or gender, she had proven herself to be quite gifted and capable.

However, that is not the reason why the silver-haired female had gotten his interest.

History. It is something which is written by man, and as time pass, different versions of it could arise, versions which might actually end up very different to what actually transpired, or at least, have some added or missing details not part of what really happened. The history of Alexander the Great is no different.

Unknown to his Master, Rider actually found a book in the house, a book which is also about... well, him. And as he read through it, he could not help but feel somehow impressed, that more than half of the accounts was accurate, but there were missing details, as well as details that had been added, which the King of Conquerors knew was not true.

One of these details, was the account that his soldiers demanded that he stop with his conquest.

His life, his education, as well as plenty experiences he had been through, had been written correctly by the historians. Even what was written about his family life and conflicts, the struggles for the throne, as well as more than half of his campaigns against Darius of Persia and other formidable opponents, was close enough to what truly transpired.

However, his soldiers, unlike what was written by historians, never demanded him to turn back, as all of them were of one heart, and shared the same dream as their King: the dream of reaching the Oceanus, the dream of reaching the ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea. And thus, the account of his death was not true either, for he did not die in the city of Babylon, nor did he succumb to any sort of disease.

Unlike what was written in history, Alexander the Great did not die of an illness. For the truth was... the King of Conquerors, in reality, died, not as a pathetic bedridden wretch, but met a glorious end in the midst of battle.

...

"_What did you say, lassie? You want to destroy the Holy Grail?"_

"_That is correct. I want to destroy the Holy Grail... or at the very least, prevent its completion. In exchange for helping me, I will, as I stated earlier, help you in your goal for world domination."_

_..._

Rider recalled it, the conversation which he had two hours before with the silver-haired female, and the words she spoke surprised the Mounted Servant...

To have different dreams, wishes and desires, was something to be expected of every person in the world, and thus the same could be said for every participant in the Heaven's Wheel. Each one of them have their own dreams, desires and wishes, and thus, it would be safe to assume that each one would want the Grail, which is believed to be able to grant any wish, for a purpose different from the others.

The offer which the girl had given him, as it stands, had been reasonable. Hibari Fuyu, understandably, had not revealed all her cards, yet the offer itself was something which Iskander found acceptable.

Rider, in all honesty, did not intend to use the Grail to conquer the world, and instead, will only wish on it so that he could become human and truly alive again, using it only as a stepping stone, not as a means to an end, and thus he will never wish on it to become the ruler of the world. It was something which Rider intended to do using his own abilities.

But then...

To participate in the Holy Grail War, not with the objective of obtaining it, but of destroying it, was something which no one, not even Rider, expected.

It was strange, Rider had to admit, for someone to have such a wish. To wish for the Holy Grail to be destroyed was equivalent to her wishing that her wish would not be granted.

At least, that what the King of Conquerors thought for a few moments. When he asked her why, however, his opinion of the matter had changed.

_..._

"_I'm not really sure why... it's just a feeling I have that it must be done, that the Grail must not be completed."_

_..._

Just a feeling. Most people would probably have not believed it, that someone would do something so absurd just because of a feeling. In fact, as far as Rider could tell, the girl had a lot of secrets, information which she had been withholding.

And yet, when she said these words, the King of Conquerors completely believed her.

_..._

"_It's just a feeling but... I think death awaits you and your men if you go through that pass, Alexander. I recommend that you take the Southern route instead. It is longer but I have a feeling that it's much safer."_

_..._

Rider, overall, was a person who acted on impulse, a person who acted on his gut feeling. True, he was one of the best marshals and war tacticians of his time, but when it comes to making decisions, he usually relies on his instinct.

And yet... even though he was the King of Conquerors, there was someone, during his time, whose instinct and intuition was truly reliable, more reliable than his own.

Rider did not know how that person had done it, but every single time that said friend, who had been travelling with his group, warned him about something, it normally turned out to be correct. In fact, if it was not for his friend, the King of Conquerors was certain that he would never have been able to make it as far as he did in his conquest.

That person was not one of his men, nor was that person his subordinate, but still, that person, was not an enemy, but an ally, a friend and comrade who Iskander considered an equal, a friend who had saved his life, as well as his soldiers', countless times, with incites.

Traps, ambushes, underhanded tactics, assassinations of various kinds, all of which Rider managed to avoid thanks to his friend. There was no indication, nor was there any solid evidence of the presence of such, but the advice that Alexander had been given, normally turned out to be correct. In fact, if it was not for said friend, the King of Conquerors was certain that he would never have been able to make it as far as he did in his conquest.

And now, Berserker's Master, greatly reminded the King of Conquerors of that particular comrade. The two may not look alike, but the aura Iskander felt from them... was similar, a nostalgic feeling.

"Hibari Fuyu... an interesting person indeed," muttered the King of Conquerors to himself, before his face split into a wide grin. "Very well, lassie, we will accept your terms."

Now all he had to do was wait for his Master to wake up so that they could get going to where the girl was staying and tell her his decision. She had, after all, given them a 'calling card,' a small piece of paper which contained the address and contact number of a person, something which Rider, who had received sufficient knowledge from the Grail, was able to understand.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Well, i never thought I'd actually get this far with this story but then here it is. Yep, this story will probably involve more elements from KHR than I originally planned, as you may have noticed, although most of them will probably slightly AU elements.

Be warned though, that while this story is designed to be semi-light hearted, it is going to have a few drama parts as well. Also, I am actually planning to have a certain someone as one of the main antagonists here, to balance out the quick progress of the story, someone who I'm sure you'd find interesting once he makes an appearance. I will not say who it is.

However, as a bit of a clue, the relationship between this main antagonist and the main protagonist will be similar to the relationship between a certain hero wannabe and a certain Counter Guardian. The only difference is that while the latter pair are actually the same person, the former pair, the one in my story, while having the same connection, are very similar in terms of fighting style but not the same person, and one of his catchphrases will probably be "A copycat like you will never be able to defeat me."

I suppose I'll stop here though, since I might reveal too much and ruin the suspense.

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	6. Fourth Encounter

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, as well as the ideas I borrowed from other manga/stories/anime/etc, and I am borrowing them purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

**Fourth Encounter**

"…Oh yes, Kirei-kun. I heard that you left the Fuyuki Church to do something on your own yesterday night."

Inside of the basement of the Fuyuki Church, which is located on top of a hill about an hour away from Miyama, a man wearing a casual attire, with a golden cross tied around his neck, was currently talking to his teacher, by means of a magically enhanced jewel communicator, to explain the situation which led to the course of action he had taken.

Or rather, to pull some fabricated lie to squeeze himself out of a tight spot...

"I am very sorry. I know this is very risky too, but I had discovered a spy in the vicinity of the church. So I had to do something about it."

"Spy? Is its target you, who's a part of the Church?" The head of the Tohsaka family inquired in a strict voice.

"Please don't worry about it. I have already destroyed the spy. No secret will be leaked out," answered Kirei in a breezy voice.

"Why didn't you use your Servant?"

"I feel that this is something trivial. Assassin is not required."

"…You really are a highly-skilled Executor, and I also know you have high confidence in your ability. But based on the current situation, aren't you careless in these actions of yours?"

"You're right. I'll tread carefully next time." And with that, Kirei stopped the flow of mana on the jewel and closed the connection.

A spy targeting him for being a member of the church, while it was not as well executed a story as he hoped it to be, it was nonetheless, combined with the fact that his teacher trusted him greatly, good enough to be bought. Tokiomi may be upset, but at least his answer did not rouse any suspicion, and the man did not seem to have any idea what it was that he was actually up to.

Making sure that he was alone in the room, Kirei brought out the cellphone from his pocket and began typing down a message.

_Failed to eliminate Caster. Slippery bastard got back into his workshop before we could ambush him. Too risky to attack him while he is in his territory. Father will be temporarily changing the rules. The War is on hold until Caster is dealt with._ Kirei wrote, before he pressed the send button

A few seconds passed... and then the mobile phone in his hand vibrated, indicating the arrival of a message.

_I see._ Was the short reply, which made the priest uncomfortable. He knew exactly what it meant.

_Caster is mine. _The priest wrote.

_Yet you failed to kill him. I have given you a time limit, did I not? _The reply came after a few seconds, which made the priest's brow twitch in annoyance.

_That is true. However, the reason I was delayed was because I was busy healing your eccentric friend._

This time, an entire two minutes passed, before the reply came.

_Very well, I will not hunt down Caster actively. But if I somehow run into the monster by coincidence, I will eliminate him._

_Fine by me._ The priest texted back in response, pausing for while, before typing another message.

_And Emiya Kiritsugu?_

_Leave him be for the time being. There are still some things I need to confirm._

_I understand. _The priest replied, before putting back his mobile phone into his pocket.

Eliminating Caster. That is what Kotomine Kirei attempted to do that night, though as luck would have it, the situation did not permit it.

In truth, he was actually busy, busy with his hobby, of dismantling and breaking sinners who had caused other people a lot of pain. Not that he cared about the innocents, of course, but the fake priest actually derived a lot of pleasure and enjoyment from this job of his. To bring about the fall and demise of evil people just like himself was one of the most enjoyable activities for him in the world.

Naturally, Kirei considered himself as evil, but since he only ever targeted evil people like himself, that technically meant that he is still, ironically enough, on the path of righteousness, a path which he had been on his entire life, and the only difference between the past and the present was the way that he viewed things.

The more evil and cruel the person, the greater the crimes they commit, the more enjoyment Kirei feels when he destroys them.

In the case of Caster and his Master, however, aside from the enjoyment he feels, Kirei had to admit that it was not the only emotion that he felt: in one of those rare instances, the man who mostly does not care about the well-being of others, actually felt true rage, mixed in with his joy, in behalf of the victims.

Children. They were the exception to the supposedly heartless Executor known as Kotomine Kirei. Normally, the fake priest would not have been moved, would not have cared what happened to them, but for some reason, ever since he eliminated the Head of the Matou family and indirectly helped saved his teacher's abandoned daughter from her terrible fate, Kirei, whenever he saw children suffering, would end up seeing his own daughter, Caren, in their place... and he had to admit that it made him feel anger.

The anger and excitement he felt with regards to Caster, however, was nothing compared to the mixture of joy and rage he felt with regards to a certain slayer of mages.

Emiya Kiritsugu, the Magus Killer, an individual who the Executor had once thought would be the key to getting the answers to his questions. Kirei, however, had already found what it was he was missing, and thus the man no longer needed to serve that purpose.

However, while it was true that the Executor no longer needed to confront the man for this reason, he still found the need to face the man because of something else.

Murderers. This was one similarity between Kirei and the Magus Killer. It did not matter whether or not it was for money, for religion, or any other reason, neither did it matter if it was for the good of the world or not. No matter how much they try to justify their actions, both of them, at the end of it all, were still just rotten killers.

Unlike Kiritsugu, however, Kirei never targeted innocents. True, he never truly cared about their well-being, but regardless, even during his time as an Executor, despite the countless number of ghouls, vampires and Dead Apostles that fell by his hand, he had never once killed an innocent. He may have been oriented to the teaching of the magi, but even then, even though the rules of the Holy Grail War dictates that witnesses should be killed, he had never once ordered his Servants to kill any civilian, with the exception of criminals who they chanced upon, who had seen them. Instead of going for the swift and convenient solution of eliminating the witnesses, the Executor went for the more time consuming, taxing and, in the long term, riskier method of modifying their memories.

The Magus Killer, however, was different. Before, he thought that Kiritsugu was different from most magi. Now, however, Kirei knew just how wrong he was. Kiritsugu was just like any typical magus, one who is willing to do anything, even kill innocent people, to achieve his goals. Kirei's teacher, Tokiomi, may follow a different set of guidelines, which made Kiritsugu, who is not limited to magecraft, more flexible, but in the end, they were the same in that aspect.

Three hundred and fifty two people. Because of his desire to eliminate one of his enemies and remove the handicap of his Servant, Kiritsugu bombed the Hyatt Hotel, burying all of its occupants with it. According to the news, over fifty people had been pulled out of the building, fourty-two dead, eight injured... and more than half of the dead, were children. By the way things look, it was unlikely for them to unearth more survivors, and based from Kirei's own estimate, at least two thirds of that number, meaning over two hundred, would probably be retrieved as nothing but corpses.

And this particular piece of information, had put the Magus Killer on top of the Executor's hit list. Even though his father, Risei, would soon announce that the Holy Grail War would be on hold until Caster is defeated, just like the silver-haired female, he had no intention of following suit. Kirei already knew, from the report the Assassins made, three of whom were tailing her with her consent, that she was already on her way to confront the Magus Killer. Once she decides that the slayer of mages was free game, he would go for the opportunity, whether or not the Holy Grail War was still on hold.

?!

The fake priest, however, was brought out from his thoughts, when he noticed something, a strangeness in the air which he felt the moment he opened the door of his room.

It was neither the change of scent nor the change in temperature of the room. Overall, he felt a great change in the overall feel of the room. The plain room of his had suddenly emanated a luxurious and elegant feeling as if it is a palace.

There was no difference in the settings and lightings of the room. The only difference was a man who is sitting on the bench in the middle of the room, totally ignorant of everyone else.

"Despite being few in number, compared to Tokiomi's collection, yours is more high-class. What a presumptuous apprentice."

With golden hair standing upright as if it's burning and a pair of ruby-red eyes, this man in front of him was none other than Tōsaka Tokiomi's Servant, the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh. However, instead of wearing his original golden armor, this Heroic Spirit was donned in a modern match-up of a leather jacket with furs and fashionable leather pants.

Since he was summoned, this Servant had been wondering around carelessly with his ability of Independent Action. But, getting tired of parading himself in his spirit form, Archer decided to dress himself in 'playing attire' to take on physical form on a whim while having a stroll in the streets at night.

At least, that was how the King of Heroes had been before.

"What do you want, Archer?"

"Oh? I just dropped by to see something which I find interesting."

"Oh, and what might that be?"

"You. I know what you've been up to, Kotomine Kirei."

"..."

The Executor became silent. For someone to see him for what he was truly like. Kirei had already foreseen that this day would come, Holy Grail War or not. He just did not expect that it would be Tokiomi's Servant, of all people outside his 'friends' and 'victims,' to first get a glimpse of his true nature.

"Do not worry though. I have not told Tokiomi about your nighttime escapades." The Golden Servant assured him. "However, in return, I would like for you to answer my question... Are you unsatisfied with only obeying Tokiomi's commands?"

"I am." The priest replied after a while, deciding that it would be best to just tell the truth, or at least part of it.

"So you opted to follow someone else's orders instead?"

"I am nobody's puppet, King of Heroes." The priest replied offhandedly, as he started picking up the bottles of wine that the majestic Archer left lying around unceremoniously on the floor.

"So you are denying my accusation? Still, you just admitted that you are not working for Tokiomi. Are you sure it's wise, telling that to an enemy Servant, who is allied with your supposed superior no less?"

"No, but I see no point in hiding it from you. You already know, don't you?"

At this, the Golden Servant smirked in response, as he poured himself another glass of liquor.

"Now, the question remains." The priest said after a while. "What are you planning to do about it, Archer?"

"Nothing," the Golden Servant replied. "Like I told you, I have no intention of informing Tokiomi about your activities. However, if you make any attempt on his life, I will have no choice but to end yours. Much as I detest being bound to a boring man, he is the one providing me with prana, and if he disappears, so will I."

"I see. Then that means there will be no problem between us." Kirei stated as placed an empty bottle of wine into a trash box. "I intend to make sure he survives through this War, after all."

"Yes, but you have no intention of letting him win, do you?"

"..."

Once again, Kirei decided to reply to the Golden Servant's question with silence.

The King of Uruk, on the other hand, despite being a prideful individual, did not seem to mind the priest's indifferent and somewhat disrespectful attitude towards him.

Or not...

"Judging by your reaction, I'll take that as a yes."

At this, the majestic and palace-like aura of the room suddenly turned sinister. Ripples started forming in the air behind the King of Heroes, as blades of all kinds, each one a powerful Noble Phantasm, started appearing through them.

"Tell me, Kirei, who exactly are you working for?"

"No one. I already told you, I am nobody's puppet." The priest replied smoothly. Despite the perilous and hopeless situation he was in, Kirei was not fazed., and instead of cowering in fear, despite the fact that he was indeed terrified, the Executor stamped down on it and stared defiantly at the Golden King.

"Hmp."

Seemingly satisfied, the King of Heroes snapped his fingers after a while, and instead of launching them, the weapons he summoned vanished, returned to the vault from whence they came.

"Such devotion," the Golden Servant stated with a smirk. "To gain the loyalty of one such as you. I can't wait to meet him, though I'll first have to find out who he is. You're not going to tell me even if I torture you to death, are you?"

"Of course not," the priest replied with a smirk of his own. "You're going to have to figure it out yourself."

"I see."

After finishing the red wine again, Archer rose from the couch. His movements caused not only the air to waver slightly; the glow within the room fluctuated with him as well. This Heroic Spirit who controlled all the creations of the earth seemed to emanate an invisible radiance from his entire body.

"Ah, I will come again to taste your delicious wine. Your collection can even rival the heavenly wines. To leave them gathering dust in a monk's storeroom is such a waste... "

"...Know that they are the only reason why your life has been spared."

Right after Archer left, the majestic atmosphere left the room too; replacing it, the mundane atmosphere of the room.

Finally alone, Kirei started to ponder on the conversation he had with the strange visitor.

For years he had been a member of a Church, seemingly fully devoted in its doctrines, yet after that, he left, and affiliated himself with a magus and the way of the magi, accepting ideals that could be considered an opposite of the Church's.

True loyalty, it was something which Kirei thought he would never have. Ever since he had discovered and accepted who he truly was, the thought of submitting to someone had never entered his mind.

Yet now, during his conversation with Tokiomi's Servant, he found that it was a trait which he actually had. Without realizing it, he, a twisted existence, had actually been defending her, with little to no regard for his own well-being. Despite being faced by certain death, he refused to give in, and refrained from divulging any information that would cause her harm.

And Kirei, in all honestly, was actually surprised with himself.

Having finished picking up the mess the King of Heroes made, the Executor sat on the couch and started drinking. The Executor, in truth, was not really into drinking alcohol, and it was simply his hobby to collect different types of liquor, not drink them. Now that someone decided to ransack his stash, no matter who it was, he decided it would be best if he started drinking as well. Based from the speed of consumption, it was possible that Archer might finish his collection in a matter of days, and Kirei did not want all of his wine to vanish without even getting a taste of them.

"Kirei-kun...:"

Unknown to Kirei, his father, Risei, who had rushed to his room when he felt the presence of a Servant, was standing outside his door, hidden from view, with a look of worry on his face. The old man may not have heard the entire conversation, but he arrived just in time to hear Archer accuse his son of planning to betray Tokiomi.

And while Kirei did not affirm the Servant's accusations...

He did not deny them either.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"If I... If right now I decide to throw away everything and run away from here... Iri, will you leave with me?" A man stated, as he continued to wrap his arms around his wife in a tight embrace, both of whom were currently standing on a balcony.

Irisviel was shocked. She would never be able to imagine that a man like Emiya Kiritsugu would ask such a question. She was so shocked she couldn't speak for a while, and asked back only after a long pause...

"Ilya… our daughter is still in the castle. What about her?"

"We go back to the castle and bring her out. All who stand in our way will be killed."

That was a short and crisp reply, but also full of despair. Doubtlessly, Kiritsugu wasn't joking; he was serious.

"After that, I'll give everything I have for our family. I'll protect Ilya and you with my life."

"…"

Irisviel finally understood the feeling of this trapped man in front of her. Kiritsugu, the partner of her life, was facing the greatest battle in his life, and he's already been forced onto a road of no return. He was no longer the Kiritsugu from nine years ago. No longer that cold and emotionless hound, no longer that killing machine who endlessly chastened himself.

Kiritsugu had changed. He's gotten very weak, even forcing himself into such a situation to achieve that very cruel ideal. The key that made Kiritsugu change was none other but Irisviel.

Wife and daughter. They weren't meant to be swept into Emiya Kiritsugu's life.

Originally, Kiritsugu had nothing to lose. He couldn't even feel pain. It was precisely because Emiya Kiritsugu was such a man that he can be extraordinarily strong, he can pursue the immense ideal of saving the world, unhesitatingly sacrifice everything for it, and become a soldier whose cruelty knows no bounds.

The current Kiritsugu wanted to go back to the past, to be the man he was before. But at the same time that he remembered the past, in the depth of Kiritsugu's current soul an inconsolable dilemma formed. These nine years completely changed Kiritsugu. Kiritsugu was already enduring a huge amount of pressure and pain just to maintain the look of cruelty and heartlessness he had before.

Irisviel's heart hurt terribly. The man she loves with all her heart was being tormented, but there was nothing she could do. That's because the person that caused all of Kiritsugu's anguish is herself.

The only thing Irisviel can do now, was to weakly raise her doubt to him.

"Are we able to run away? We…"

"We can. Now there's still a chance."

Kiritsugu replied immediately. But that wasn't believable. Kiritsugu only said that to allow his own heart to still cherish that illusionary hope.

"Iri... Maiya, she's gone... "

Hisau Maiya, Kiritsugu's partner in the battlefield, the other woman in her husband's life. Irisviel knew full well that her husband loves her, but she also knew that Kiritsugu held feelings for the other woman as well.

If Irisviel were to be honest with herself, she actually detested the woman. Even though she knew that Kiritsugu's heart belonged to her, there was a part there, which the homunculus knew, was reserved especially for that woman. The fact that Kiritsugu was currently crying in her arms thinking of that other woman only increased Irisviel's feeling of loathing.

"If I lose you... I'm not sure if I will be able to go on."

Still, even though a part of her hated Maiya, Irisviel wholeheartedly wished that she was here. For she was the one and only person, who could help bring out the Kiritsugu from nine years ago. The only person, aside from Saber and herself, who will be able to help Irisviel's husband to make it through the Grail War.

But now, she was gone, and Irisviel was the only one person that remained who Kiritsugu could lean on.

And unknown to him, the person he was leaning on for support was barely holding herself together.

To run away. Kiritsugu said that it was possible for them to run away.

Irisviel, however, knew full well the answer to that question, and it was exactly the opposite of what her husband told her.

?!

Suddenly, the couple broke their embrace, both of them assuming a defensive stance.

Castle Einzbern. The castle-villa found at the forest in the outskirts of Fuyuki City. It was bought by the Einzbern family to serve as a base for their Master representatives during the Heaven's Feel rituals.

Perfect anti-spiritual processes are also included in the defence, ensuring that the spirits inside the Einzbern forest, which surrounds the fortress, do not enter. The Bounded Field is excellent, and even Assassin, the Servant that is known for its Presence Concealment, would not be able to enter the forest without Irisviel, the current master of the castle, knowing about it.

Or so she thought...

Now, however, she knew just how wrong she was for thinking that way. If someone entered the boundary of the forest, she should have felt it, as an uncomfortable surge of prana and throbbing in her chest. And yet, she did not feel anything of the sort.

From the balcony where they were currently standing on, the homunculus could hear the sound of metal clashing against metal, and see sparks flying from somewhere in the forest, where Saber, who had been patrolling the perimeter, was without a doubt engaging an enemy Servant...

Irisviel knew that they were in a most perilous situation. Beside her, she could see her husband gritting his teeth in frustration. He was unarmed, save for his knife: the rest of his weapons he had left in his room.

And yet, for some reason Irisviel could not understand, even though she knew she should be afraid, aside from fear, she felt a different emotion... nostalgia, a sense of familiarity... the same feeling which she felt when she first saw her.

"Good day to you, Mr. and Mrs. Emiya," a voice greeted, belonging to Berserker's Master, who was currently standing a few meters away from Irisviel and Kiritsugu. "I apologize for my intrusion, but there is a matter which I believe we need to discuss."

**xxxXXXxxx**

Maiya Hisau was confused. She had been woken up by the gentle sound of chirping birds and the bright rays of sun that shone on her face when she opened her eyes made everything appear white.

?!

Being the experienced soldier that she was, however, the dazed state she was in lasted only for a few moments. In a matter of seconds, she recalled everything that transpired.

She remembered it, what happened the night before. She and Kiritsugu, in order to remove Saber's handicap, went on a mission to eliminate Lancer's Master, by bombing the hotel he was staying at. After all, it was much easier to deal with the Master than the Servant, and once the Master is dead, the Servant will disappear soon after. And then, just as she was waiting for Kiritsugu's signal, everything went blank.

With the instincts and reflexes that had been instilled to her by her time on the battlefield, the female soldier scanned and inspected herself and her surroundings... and it increased the considerable amount of dread and anxiousness she already felt.

She was inside of a room, a moderately sized one, neither too large nor too small, which, based from the items that could be found in it, belonged to a school girl. On one corner of the room was a small closet where a set of female clothes was hanged at the outside. On another corner of the room was a table, beside which was a small bookshelf on which books which were meant for someone in their third year of high school were neatly arranged.

And indeed, the room was without a doubt, the room of a typical student. At least, that was what Maiya would have thought... if it was not for the fact that a Bounded Field had been set in place.

There was no indication that the owner of the room was a magus, except for the barrier, nor was there anything in the room that could be considered dangerous. However, looks can be deceiving, and the fact that there was a barrier in place was proof of that.

Maiya got up from her bed and unconsciously went to pull out her gun... only to realize that she was unarmed. Her clothes, as she saw, had been changed, and instead of the combat outfit she had on where she hid her weapons, she was instead wearing a white sleeping gown.

Despite her growing anxiety, the Magus Killer's assistant managed to remain calm and composed. As quietly as she could, the female soldier tiptoed towards the window.

_Locked,_ thought Maiya to herself, as she tried to lift the sliding glass. Much as she wanted to, she could not break the glass, for it might trigger the barrier, not to mention create a loud enough sound to alert her captor, whoever it was.

Next she tried the door, and to her mild surprise it opened.

Being an experienced soldier, Maiya already knew the kind of situation she was in. True, she was unharmed, nor was she tied up and immobilized, but the fact that she was here, but the fact that she had been abducted against her will, especially while she was on a crucial mission, meant that she was more like than not, a hostage.

?!

Suddenly, the female soldier who had already been treading cautiously, heard footsteps getting closer from the foot of the stairs.

Closing the door as quietly as she could behind her, the female soldier went back to the bed and pretended to be asleep. She did not know if this would work, considering that her captor was someone who could magecraft, but still, it was worth a shot. Magi, after all, no matter what walk of life they are, with a few exception that include Maiya's partner, Kiritsugu, are prideful individuals, whose weaknesses she, being the assistant of the Magus Killer, knew how to exploit.

Based from the fact that she was still alive, it means that whoever this person happened to be, needed her for information... and the fact that she was capable of fighting against magi and should not be underestimated is one which is she is willing to share, and she will do so by taking the life of her captor before she escapes. The Holy Grail War was still going on, and Kiritsugu needs her by his side.

_I need to get out of here, _thought the female soldier to herself, feeling sweat forming on her face, as she clutched at the scissors, which she had taken from the study desk and dismantled to form two makeshift blades before going back to bed.

"Ms. Maiya?"

Instead of simply entering the room, however,, the individual, the individual opted to knock instead.

"Ms. Maiya, are you awake?"

The Magus Killer's assistant was shocked. However, it was not because of the person's polite manners.

Magi, as she knew in general, could be too proud to a certain point, one which she and Kiritsugu had utilized to eliminate them. They tend to act rashly, and their ego and self-confidence had been what led to their demise. To keep a hostage untied and free to move, without even bothering to attempt messing with their memories or some form of handicap, was an example of such arrogance.

Maiya, however, was convinced that in her current situation, it was not the case.

_That voice... it can't be_...

Forgetting for a moment that she was incarcerated, Maiya got up from her bed, walked up to the door, and opened it.

"Nagi?" The Magus Killer's assistant whispered, staring blankly at the person who was standing in front of her, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Good morning, Ms. Maiya.," A girl with purple hair greeted in a gentle voice, a serene smile present on her face, as she held out a tray at the female soldier, which held a cup of hot chocolate and a plate with egg and bacons.

"Here, I've brought you some breakfast."

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Now, I suppose it took me a while to write this chapter. Not easy, though I tell you.

Now, one of the things I noticed from all of the fate stay night fics so far is that they rarely ever show Kirei in a good light. With the exception of one, The Infamous Man's god-like Lupin III and Fate Stay Night Crossover, Just An Unorthodox Thief. However, as I think I said in the last chapter, Kirei turning evil is Gilgamesh's fault. I hope the conversation between Kirei and Goldy in this fic is passable enough.

Yeah, overall, when it comes to writing, I find writing something completely from scratch is still easier than having to insert parts from an already finished one. However, I have to admit that I find it necessary. Later on though, once the story completely diverts, the scenarios will no longer require it and I will finally be free to write in the way I want to.

By the way, here is the stats for Berserker, which is affected due to having a different Master.

* * *

Servant: Berserker

Master: Hibari Fuyu

True Name: Lancelot of the Lake

Alignment: Lawful Good

Stats:

Strength: B

Endurance: A

Agility: A

Mana: B

Luck: D-B+

Class Skills:

Mad Enhancement: Inactive

As a result the use of a Command Spell, Mad Enhancement has been permanently deactivated, making Lancelot completely sane, unless his Master decides to reactivate it.

Personal Skills:

Eternal Arms Mastership: A+

Prevents degradation of fighting skills when under the effect of mental hindrance.

In Berserker's case, having this skill at A+, mastership of combat arts has reached the point of being said to be unrivaled in one's era. By complete merging of mind, body and technique, it is possible to make use of full fighting skills even when under the influence of any sort of mental hindrance.

Magic Resistance: C

Grants protection against magical effects.

In Berserker's case, it cancels spells with a chant below two verses, but he cannot defend against Magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.

Protection of the Fairies

A blessing from the Elementals. Berserker has the ability to increase his luck, but only activates when he is on the battlefield.

(?)

An ability which he did not have during his lifetime, but rather, something which he has learned during the time he was summoned.

Noble Phantasms

Arondight

Type: Anti-unit

Rank: A++

A sword which is the counterpart of King Arthur's Excalibur. Once brought out, Knight of Honor and For Someone's Glory are deactivated.

Knight of Honor

Rank: A++

Allows Lancer to pick up and use just about anything as his Noble Phantasm, ranging from a rock to a jet fighter. Anything can be utilized, so long as it could fit the category 'weapon.'

For Someone's Glory

Rank: B-A+

An ability which allows Berserker to disguise himself and mask his abilities. Due to the removal of Mad Enhancement, Berserker would be able to completely hide his information, aside from his basic stats, from enemy Masters, and he would also be able to disguise himself as other Heroic Spirits like Hector or Cu Chullain. He could even disguise himself as a girl like his King, Arturia, and even hide himself as an ordinary human. However, it does not hide him from the eyes of Masters, who despite not knowing his identity, can still tell he is a Servant through their clairvoyance ability.

Combined with an ability he learned while he stayed with his Master, however, Lancelot is now able to bypass this weakness and is now able to completely hide the fact that he is a Servant, and could now pass off as an ordinary human if he so desired. So far, he has not yet been shown to use For Someone's Glory to the fullest, only using it to hide his true identity.

* * *

So there you have it, the stats of Servant Berserker.

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


End file.
